re: New Orleans Council proposal would halt some short-term rentals, including some licensed

I have a lot of customers with multiple houses only used for AirBnb. All over too. Next to Jesuit, by Freret, marigny, mid city, quarter. Most live out of state.

You make 2-3 times what you can get renting it monthly.

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New Orleans is a tourist destination, not denying that, however, I’m against having the tourist take over the residential areas. Let them have Downtown. That’s all they know and come here for anyway.

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I don’t go to New Orleans to go to fricking bourbon or the quarter. I like experiencing different neighborhoods and not dealing with hotels...I like having a private place to come back to when I finish doing what I’m out doing. If i had no choice but to stay in a hotel downtown, i would never go again.

Like it or not, NOLA is a tourist town. AirBnB disrupts the model the city has built to not only provide revenue for public services and governmental operation. But it also blows a hole in employment opportunities the tourism industry provides. Not many bellhops or cleaning ladies being hired for short term rentals. Not many door men jobs or concierge desks being posted in the want ads by folks who own AirBnB’s.

That we haven’t looked at how the lower end of the economic spectrum is impacted within the tourism community is somewhat telling. Those folks hired into low end positions can only tell the job market is tight in tourism. They’re more than likely not aware of the why behind it.

But like it or not those jobs exist and they provide incomes and a path up the economic food chain. Without them there are real impacts to the economy and to people in low income communities. Increased home values on one end with less jobs on the lower end puts pressure on affordable housing as well.

It’s really hard to look at a city based on tourism like NOLA is and ignore this aspect of the argument.

I’m a conservative, limited government, don’t tread on me type to boot. Make no mistake my heart doesn’t bleed. But you cannot simply dismiss the impact of this type of disrupting cottage industry.

So the question becomes how exactly do you allow for these rental options while still protecting your tax base and job base? I don’t know but it appears NOLA does need better ordinances and enforcement. They need a more effective licensing and tax policy.

They seem to have a sympathetic city council and by all accounts neighborhood associations are incredibly proactive there. I think it all starts at the local level with HOA’s and beefing up code enforcement. Those are definitely assets that can be readily and easily utilized to start the process.

It is coupled with tax policy that allows for these new choices for short term rentals. This disruption via technology is here to stay. Nobody should think we can put the genie back in this bottle or turn back time like a Cher music video. But we also need to adjust the economic model to allow for these choices for consumers and still protect the city’s economic model which is still focused on tourism.

I think there is a happy medium. But like all things it requires hard work and all sides both coming to the table and compromising to move forward.

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why is that shitty? is it shitty for somebody to buy up houses to rent out on 12 month leases? why is the short term rental any different?

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I don’t know what to tell you if you can’t see the difference between your next door neighbor being a tenant who will be calling the neighborhood home and living there for a year or longer...or tenants who are only in town for the weekend for festivals and partying...with a new group of partiers arriving the next weekend

They need to just empower neighborhoods/streets to decide for themselves.

That neighbor will now see fewer home sales + fewer properties renovated which will equate to a significant housing price drop.

Would love to know how many people on here bitching about having Airbnb in their neighborhoods....actually use Airbnb on vacations.


Seems hypocritical if you ask me.

House next door to me was bought by a guy that buys up houses and solely uses them for Airbnb homes. Maybe once or twice has it been a little annoying the people that are staying there (drunk college kids one weekend sloppy drunk and loud by the home’s pool at night).

But I’m not gonna get that upset.....cause even though I’ve never actually used Airbnb....I’ve used similar sites for several vacations in the past. Many times staying in quieter residential neighborhoods.

Maybe live in a neighborhood with an HOA. I know the guy that bought the neighbor’s house to use as an Airbnb home specifically only buys homes in non HOA neighborhoods.

"I dont want my tourist city to be more touristy "

Additionally, how many of the non Airbnb houses in the neighborhoods are routinely 'party' houses for the big events? I'd bet many. People live there in order to be close to that stuff, they like to have friends and family over to party at their house and then walk to the events. The same events people rent for.

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. I like experiencing different neighborhoods and not dealing with hotels...I like having a private place to come back to when I finish doing what I’m out doing

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I hear there are some nice Air BnB’s in Hollygrove. You should check them out.