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Fighting NIMBYism or the "Not in My Backyard" Syndrome

By Ana M. Kinkaid
Published: 06/28/07 Topics: Comments: 0

Vacation rental owners sometimes encounter attempts to ban or limit rentals in their area. Various so called ’reasons’ are often presented to local officials to justify limiting rentals.

Let’s look at some of the most common complaints and see if they are actually based in reality.

Statement: Vacation rentals will drive up real estate prices so high that the current residents can’t to live there.
FACT: Local ordinances can be written to ’grandfather’ in lower tax rates for full time local residences. Members of the hospitality industry have traditionally been taxed in a different category from local home owners. All these matters can be easily addressed with calm planning.

Statement: The ’wrong’ kind of people will come to the community.
FACT: Vacation rental guests are some of the most carefully screened guests in the hospitality industry.
Rarely are they the ’wrong’ kind of guest. Rather, they are the ’right’ kind of guest who are looking forward to enjoying the best a community has to offer-its sports, culture, history. And they will spend money to support those local activities. And that’s good for everyone.

Statement: Vacation rental owners are trying to make money while not really operating a real business.
FACT: Owning and running a vacation rental is a business. Owners must have a business license, pay federal, state and local taxes including sales taxes, contract support services within the community, maintain financial records, have insurance, book reservations and pay bills. That sounds like a business to me.

Statement: The owners of vacation rentals will pay too much for services like cleaning and maintenance. That will result in an increase in the cost of services for local residents.
FACT: Vacation rentals that are professional operated use professional services or contracted staff. They are not interested in taking away your residential housekeeper who cleans every other week.

Statement: We like things the way they are.
FACT: A community that doesn’t grow and develop will find the future difficult. Please note that VROA chose the words "grow and develop". Change just for the sake of change is dangerous because there is no plan, no positive goals. All communities should be interested in area growth and development BUT with a purpose. Vacation rentals are one of the few segments of the hospitality industry that support growth and development without requiring the neighborhood to host a major construction site.

These are some of the concerns we hear about at VROA, but we want to know how YOU have encountered NIMBYism and how you’ve addressed it. Call or email us and let us know so we can share with others.

Next week we’ll cover some of the activities you can plan in advance to change “not in my backyard” to “Welcome Aboard”. Be sure to join us then.


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MEMBER INPUT:
Every vacation rental is special. Yet we all share common experiences and the mutual professional goal of being successful. Sharing with each other is one of the easiest ways to reach those goals. Send in your tips and ideas, concerns and compliments. We all part of the same expanding industry. I look forward to your calls and emails. You can reach me at 206-343-7777, ext. 920 or Ana @vroa.orgAna @vroa.org

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TOP PROPERTY: Triangle River Vacation Rental, 15 minutes from fun at Vail CO
(triangleriver.com)triangleriver.com

Keith Wegen doesn’t limit himself to sharing with his guests how ideal his vacation rental is for winter fun. His gallery of pictures offers guests a chance to visualize their vacation during every season at his lovely property.

Besides ski information, he provides information about nearby golf courses and the year round activities that make Vail a popular destination to travelers from around the world. And just to make sure that guests are looking forward to enjoying his 5,700 square foot house with its majestic views, he even provides a detailed floor plan! Now that’s a thoughtful owner.

Well done Keith! And congratulations for being selected a TOP Property by the VROA staff.


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VROA OWNER NEWSLETTER
Published weekly for all Members
Copyright - Vacation Rental Owners Association
Read this and all prior newsletters at (VROA.org)VROA.org

Director & Editor - Ana Kinkaid, Ana@VROA.orgAna@VROA.org
Publisher - William May, William@VROA.orgWilliam@VROA.org
P.O. Box 21305
Seattle, WA 98111-3305
Voice: 206-343-7777, ext. 920
Fax: 206-628-0839
Email: info@VROA.org info@VROA.org
WEB: (VROA.org)VROA.org

 

Author: Ana M. Kinkaid, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0074 – 06/28/07

Comments: 0

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