Convert your short term rentals to regular rentals for those displaced by the fires. You know what to do.
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Convert your short term rentals to regular rentals for those displaced by the fires. You know what to do.
It will be interesting to see how much response there is. I think this is the kind of thing that comes from within, rather than from outside of oneself, but maybe the conscience can be enlightened with reminders. Thank you
:heart:
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Posted in reply to the post by Dianala;215776:
Thanks Shandi for your post.
I too will be interested in the response, especially because I know a couple who are Air B &B hosts. They depend on it for post-retirement income, and wouldn't have the resources to convert it to a "regular" rental and give up those higher rates.
I've been impressed daily during this crisis by the generosity and support of our community and how individuals, each within their capacity to give, have given. Some can afford to write big checks or take in evacuees and some can shelter livestock or just donate extra blankets and food. Whatever they've contributed , they haven't needed reminding to give within their ability to give. They've just stepped up and I feel lucky to share our world with such good and caring people.
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Posted in reply to the post by Shandi:
My husband and I canceled our AirBnB guests for this weekend and are housing 3 evacuees instead. The guests were very understanding and supportive
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Posted in reply to the post by gypsey:
This makes me wonder how many Airbnb rentals may have been destroyed in the fires, leaving owners with no means of income or resources.
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Posted in reply to the post by gypsey;215831:
Imo talking to people Can make a difference. Some people just don't think, or they put up a wall and try to disconnect from all the suffering. Lots of people wouldn't even know where to get displaced people whom they can trust and be connected to. They might not understand how much of a difference a few weeks could make to a family with nothing. No shaming, of course - yet any of us who have guest houses, or separate suites that are empty, are truly really, really lucky - and I do hope that they want to help. No one (at least in this thread) was talking about permanently making it a regular rental forever. Just my opinion.
Never done Airbnb but we will be using our guest house to provide shelter to a family. For less than 30 days, I guess there is no issue; but does anyone know if we need to keep the sheltering terms less than 30 days to avoid some kind of liability for long term renting? Also, any idea if homeowners insurance covers renting a guest house for short term? Does it change if we don't rent but they just pay us for extra utilities?
About longer term: are there any county regs about longer term rentals that we should know about?
Are there any emergency provisions that apply. We've all heard of tenants from hell. It doesn't apply in our case but I guess many people who have a second space would be concerned.
I'm going to try to get some information about this and will provide you with what I learn. I really appreciate that you and many other vacation rental hosts are being compassionate and helping our community in the midst of this serious crisis. I wonder if there is a way we can make it more financially and legally feasible for vacation rental owners to do this? We now have an even more extreme shortage of housing.
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Posted in reply to the post by spam1:
If you are planning on creating a short term rental (less than 30 days) AirBnb is a great way to go. We rent a second home using their platform and it is very slick. Short terms rentals are tricky, so there are some important things to know. Depending on where you live, you may be in violation of zoning codes by renting for less than 30 days. For example, short term rentals are not allowed in Sebastopol in residential neighborhoods, and are tricky to do in commercial zones. They are allowed only in some areas of the County, but you need to obtain a special permit. In areas where they are allowed, you often will have to pay transient occupancy tax (TOT or bed tax). In the County, TOT is 12% and is automatically paid by Airbnb. In Santa Rosa, you have to calculate yourself and pay it quarterly.
Longer term temporary rentals (12-24 months) are probably going to be what people really need for fire relief. They are actually less complicated than short term. No special permits are requited and they are allowed in almost any legal dwelling unit. To maintain some flexibility, you can opt for a month-to-month rental agreement that can be cancelled by either party with nothing more than 30 day's notice. Right now, these types of agreements work pretty well from a landlord's perspective, but some cities are considering rental regulations that might make it harder for landlords to end tenancies and might even force landlords to pay moving expenses when they do. Check your local codes just to be sure you know what you're getting into. I have apartments I've rented in Santa Rosa on month-to-month agreements for years and have had very few problems. Also, go to Nolo Press. They offer great resources that I've depended on for years.
If you educate yourself about the law and local codes and carefully select your tenants, you should be fine.
I think you hit the nail on the head regarding finding a way to make the change financially feasible. I'm not sure how to do that, but I do know that a vacation rental can make twice the revenue of a typical long term rental. Asking people to switch from vacation to monthly rental can mean asking them to sacrifice a significant amount of their income.
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Posted in reply to the post by jerichsalud:
This is true. Those of us who barely make it from year to year because of the rising costs of everything here have been able to live okay because of the short term rental income. I did switch to a regular rental a year ago, though, because the work became exhausting. Still, though, I barely make it without the short term income. While we're asking individuals to sacrifice income because of our housing needs, how about asking corporations and businesses to sacrifice too?
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Posted in reply to the post by 1104GT:
This is a complex situation at this time. Businesses and corporations also have been tremendously impacted and there was already a tight job market before the fires. The rental prices have been going up steadily for the past few years and have made it very difficult for people to pay their rent and only get paid $12 to $16/hour. Along with rental increases or evictions to be able to increase rents, people have had to leave the county.
Non-profits in general have really struggled to fill job openings that require experienced people.
Are tourists really going to come here now or through this winter? I think the short renters could be better off renting month to month to local people who need to rebuild.
I loved your response. Many individual's sole incomes are from Airbnb. For people to demand that Airbnb hosts, who are generally not wealthy and wouldn't be renting a room or granny unit unless they really needed that income is wrong. They are passing the blame for housing issues to the little guys.
The voters added a tremendous tax of 12% on Airbnb hosts. That's a big fee in addition to all the other maintenance costs; housecleaning, damage, linens, etc.
Our county thrives on tourists, it brings a lot of income to our communities. While we blame vacation rental owners for bringing tourists to their towns -- the wealthy and influential wine industry is allowed to use all manner of pesticides, including the now known carcinogen RoundUP - with impunity. And yet we shame people who need money to live in an expensive area for doing what they can with their own property.
We have to give people the freedom to choose how they want to live, as long as they don't negatively impact their neighbors. Give everyone a choice on how they choose to survive in this difficult economy. And do something in your own life to serve the community. There is so much to do rather than criticize or focus on others.
P.S. from my original: At my age, almost 80, and two college degrees, my income is way in the middle of what is defined as poverty level. I don't think of myself as impoverished, by any means, but that is the definition of my income. Renting out a studio in my home through Airbnb provided me with the income I needed to stay afloat without stress, although I was still in the "poverty" category. Many of us, older seniors, have difficulty staying in our homes. The water bill for Sebastopol went up FIVE times spread out over just a couple of years--just that alone almost forces some of us out of our homes. I've lived in my home for 40 years, and it is my home, and I hope that those of you who are in a higher financial bracket (including City employees) will give us a little support....
I understand that having a vacation rental can in some cases be a necessity and that people need to make the best choices for themselves in terms of what they do with the homes and units they own. At the same time, we are in the middle of a horrible disaster with the loss of in the neighborhood of 3000 homes in Sonoma County in just over a week with what had already been a severe housing crisis in Sonoma County.
We are not going to be building anywhere near the amount of housing that we need in the meantime and we have many displaced families and individuals faced with some very challenging circumstances. This has many consequences for those people directly affected, our economy etc.
Many people are stepping up and making compromises and sacrifices and offering housing they might not otherwise offer to help these fellow community members in these tough times. Hopefully, those vacation rental owners who can afford to will seriously consider chipping in as well to help in what for many amounts to a rather dire situation. Ideally, they will only need to do this on a temporary basis as gradually longer term solutions are put into place and hopefully in the end doing so will be better for everyone involved and out county as a whole.
Everyone has their own set of circumstances, no shaming is intended. However, renting to a local person, couple, or family who lost their apartment rental or home on a month to month arrangement could be more stable and lucrative in the long run as we move towards winter and less tourist visits. Much of the rentals available have become Airbnb’s or VRBO for the supplemental income. I am just being practical here, as well as being community minded for the well being of our community.
I also am on a fixed income and rent out a room in my home too. I think that most people do not know the difference between an Airbnb Hosted Rental and an Airbnb Vacation Rental. The County does differentiate as well.
Count me as someone who doesn't know the difference between an "Airbnb Hosted Rental and an Airbnb Vacation Rental". Can you share some information about the distinction? Got a link?Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by BethLinley:
My understanding is hosted rental is in a portion
Of the dwelling you reside in or on site host for short. Vacation rental is not
occupied when the guest arrives.
I paid a permit fee to the county to make a portion of the house
where my wife and I live a legal hosted rental.
The county has all the info on their website.
Hope that helps
Here's the link:Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by ezas123:
Vacation Rentals vs. Hosted Rentals
I believe the real thing you need to deal with is having the proper insurance. If you are going to rent you need a landlords policy. If on the other hand, these folks will be your new friends you likely won't but call your insurance company and make sure. Air B and B does provide some liability insurance but I don't know how good it is. It supposedly will not cover you if your unit is not a legally permitted space.
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Posted in reply to the post by spam1:
Indeed. Called my agent and had insurance added for renting the guest house: $300 per year.Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:
Yes, many notable advances by the County. I think it is important to note that a lot of these changes are temporary, for 45 days and will be revisited. Hopefully this link will get you to Lynda Hopkin's Facebook post with the details- https://www.facebook.com/lynda.hopkins.35/posts/1534348869959050
Here is a link to Housing Resources on the County website- https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/EOC-and-...ing-Resources/
They are also working to get it so that people can use FEMA funds to rent vacation rentals. Senator Mike McGuire wrote "BIG push happening to open up additional hotel rooms and vacation rentals across Sonoma County. Great collaboration between the Sonoma County Lodging Association, County of Sonoma, FEMA and CA Office of Emergency Services. By working together, major progress has been made (more to come)! Reminder: Visit the Local Assistance Center - Press Democrat Building in Downtown Santa Rosa. It's your one stop shop for recovery services." And, "This is the first step - Getting vacation rentals qualified for FEMA assistance."
Just wondering -- is your guest house legally permitted? (Tried to Reply Privately, but just got a blank screen.)
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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:
While I support this thread as valuable, why hasn't its name morphed to something more appropriate?
Every time I read "Air B&B etc" with its unfair and shaming connotations, I cringe and just don't want to read it.
Barry, can you help?
The thread title definitely has a point of view, as many threads here do, but I think it accurately describes the conversation in which many points of view are offered. I'm going to let it stand.Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by gypsey: