tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post8234472607174589809..comments2024-03-28T17:55:31.180-04:00Comments on The Gossips of Rivertown: Of Sidewalks and Airbnb: Part 2Carole Osterinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-68394601790506472892019-01-27T08:06:35.478-05:002019-01-27T08:06:35.478-05:00Renting out a room or two in an occupied house is ...Renting out a room or two in an occupied house is very helpful for those struggling to pay the bills. There is an Airbnb next to me that is often a headache for me, as the occupants come home drunk from some party or another and are loud and throw glasses and liquor bottles on my lawn, park in front of my house even though there is a driveway to use, talk on cell phones late at night outside my window, and other annoyances. If the owner were there, it wouldn't be that way. Sharing a house to meet expenses is one thing, but taking a house off the market to rent out on weekends is another entirely. It means that for every Airbnb not owner occupied, there is one less house for residents to live in, which drives up the cost of real estate. It's the classic supply/demand scenario.Cynthia Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16611234458613584346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-8693431651961005352019-01-26T15:42:06.797-05:002019-01-26T15:42:06.797-05:00Thank you for this, Carole.
I wanted to clarify t...Thank you for this, Carole.<br /><br />I wanted to clarify the comment I shared at the meeting. <br />I have two neighbors and a fence on both sides separating our yards.<br /><br />On one side of me I have neighbors that live in the building and Airbnb their downstairs. I have known them ever since I moved in. <br /><br />On the other side, is an Airbnb Host who does not live there and who as a total of 23 listings in the City. This means that I am having all sorts of awkward interactions with true strangers. I see more of the people who turn over the apartments than the actual owner. <br /><br />I have had nothing but friendly interactions with him, but I am left feeling as if I am already paying an Airbnb tax in the loss of real neighbors, and in invasive and awkward social interactions.<br /> I think we need to acknowledge that there are issues and costs to Airbnb that may not rise to the level of nuisance but negatively impact quality of life.<br /><br />For me, having to make small talk with strangers on the neighbors back porch while sitting in my backyard with my daughter is a significant invasion of my privacy. <br /><br />For the record, I fully support Airbnb as an expression of the sharing economy that allows individuals to leverage their property. But there are limits. I also wanted to applaud John Rosenthal for how he ran the meeting. I appreciated that he addressed the public right up front, set clear expectations, and managed the crowd in an effective way that kept us all able to address a complicated situation together.<br /> Perhaps most importantly, I appreciated the clear focus on learning and understanding and not rushing to conclusions, solutions and actions. I am excited by the drive to learn and better understand. PETER SPEARhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04377970654469835056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-36138436259058174682019-01-26T12:11:00.326-05:002019-01-26T12:11:00.326-05:00IMHO, the driving factor in rising rents is the ex...IMHO, the driving factor in rising rents is the extraordinarily high real estate taxes (the real estate tax and water and sewer burden on an apartment can range $400-$500/mo.), plus the fact that much of the housing was historically below standard and has required a lot of capital expenditure to bring up to standard. Also, the historical designation for many areas of the city (which I wholly support) also makes the cost of improvements more expensive than it would be otherwise. As Sam suggests, this is a complicated situation and blaming AirBnB for a lack of affordable housing is an over simplification. As an aside, I am not involved in any AirBnB's. <br /><br />In the last twenty years, Hudson has been transformed from a gritty, slum ridden former industrial city to a tony, high-priced small city. So I ask, which is worse, improved (albeit more expensive) housing or decrepit slums? My firm's policy has been not have large increases in rent for tenants in possession, but we try to recoup the expense of upgrading properties when apartments become vacant. There is no other way to maintain these VERY old buildings in decent shape. Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04357627608014009284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-48805169126652263012019-01-26T10:28:26.625-05:002019-01-26T10:28:26.625-05:00Say a person is using AirBnB to help pay their mor...Say a person is using AirBnB to help pay their mortgage and astronomical local property/school taxes, and might lose their house without that income. That also would lead to displacement. This is just one example of how debates about gentrification often oversimplify the situation, with grandstanding taking precedence over data gathering and analysis.Sam Pratthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05139366555091167364noreply@blogger.com