We have rented our house on Airbnb at various times. Work takes our family overseas for months each year, making long-term rentals impossible. The VTDigger article on “short-term rentals” in Burlington or the state doesn’t seem to reflect our point of view or our visitors’. Hosts are painted either as competitors to traditional hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, or as affecting overall housing stock.
From our experience, Airbnb provides overflow capacity for college graduations, leaf season and holiday weekends. It provides a place for reunions and flexibility for people who need to self-cater or have animals. It provides a place for family to support those in the hospital or deal with their children having challenges transitioning to university life. It provides a place for folks to try a neighborhood out before they rent or buy.
It regulates quality and responsiveness through transparent reviews on every visit, providing effective oversight. Being a host is not passive. It requires that we maintain our home so that it is attractive, inside and out, unlike many long-term rentals.
I understand that some lament the presence of short-term rentals, but we hear the same thing in relation to college students, new American populations, Section 8 housing, or public services. I fear that the legislative approach will continue to promote having houses empty for much of the year (like those on the lake or ski mountains), rather than welcoming diversity. I appreciate a community that seeks to integrate new options to make the state livable.
Matt Sommerville
Burlington
