Condo owners in Miami's Brickell
neighborhood are calling on city officials to step up enforcement against
short-term rentals, which they say are disrupting their high-rise
communities and violating local rules.
|
Illegal rentals on
the rise
Short-term rentals are legal in certain parts of the City of
Miami, but not in Brickell's residential towers. Building
signs and flyers remind residents that leasing units for
brief stays is prohibited.
"It has been increasing," said Ernesto Cuesta, president of
the Brickell Homeowners Association. "It's getting worse."
Cuesta said he's seen renters bypass the rules by drafting
30-day leases for one guest, then turning around and using
that lease as a loophole to rent the unit out to others on a
daily basis. |
|
|
"That lease is being
used as a cover-up to rent on a daily basis to other
people," Cuesta said.
City of Miami responds, but residents want more
CBS News Miami reviewed city records showing more than 120
short-term rental complaints filed with code inspectors
since January. Of those, a dozen have resulted in property
liens.
"Code compliance responds to all short-term rental
complaints, regardless of location," said Orlando Rodriguez,
Assistant Director for the City of Miami Office of
Communications. "We are aware of the issue in Brickell and
the rest of the city. All complaints follow the process:
initiation, investigation and adjudication, if necessary."
But Cuesta said residents want more aggressive action.
"We fear if we don't have control on that, Brickell might
become a South Beach," he said. "We deserve, not because we
feel that we are better than any other community. It's that
we don't mind paying taxes. But what about getting the
services we're paying for?"
Airbnb's statement
A spokesperson for Airbnb sent CBS News Miami a statement
regarding its short-term rental policies.
"When signing up to host on Airbnb, hosts agree to abide by
Airbnb's Community Standards and our Terms of Service, which
stipulate that they must be in compliance with local rules
and regulations. This is also made clear in our dedicated
page on responsible hosting in the U.S.
To obtain a short-term rental license in Miami, hosts must
verify their listing is consistent with zoning requirements
in the city and apply for a business license. Once
registered, hosts must add their registration details to
their listing on Airbnb. We maintain an active line of
communication with Miami to help uphold the city's
short-term rental laws, including through ongoing
collaboration on enforcement issues, support for the
licensing system, and coordination around potential
violations or problematic listings."