Is Airbnb banned in Miami beach?

I have a friend who is looking for a STR in Miami beach Feb 21-April 12 for her 27 year old son. He is a poet helping a 93 year old poet work on a manuscript.
They said Airbnb has been banned in Miami Beach. Is that true? If so, does anyone have any resources or know of anyone with a STR available for those dates? Budget is about $1500/month and just needs a basic clean and safe single room. Thanks!

@MissMiami can you help?

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Airbnb rentals are precluded in some areas of Miami Beach based on city ordinance; in other parts of MIami Beach, while homeowners are legally permitted to book their properties via airbnb, condos have been creating rules so that units can’t rent for short periods. While I’d love to buy an investment property in Miami Beach to rent it out via airbnb, I won’t take a chance…

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@Claudette_Bradish Claudette, I would stay away from Miami Beach unless it can be established that the property can be booked without restrictions. However, there is no reason to stay in Miami Beach when there are nearby areas that can be rented without aggravation. My properties are well over your budget, otherwise I would offer one of my places…good luck!

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Miss Miami
Thank you for your reply. May I ask what you mean “unless it can be rented without restrictions.” Also, what areas outside Miami Beach were you suggesting? He only needs a simple room, not a whole place." Is $1500 a month reasonable for just a room? And where should he be looking? Thanks! (Anyone else can chime in here also.)

@Claudette_Bradish – no disrespect to @MissMiami or any other east coasters, but why Miami, why that coast? Especially now in the middle of High Season??? Unless the 93 year old lives there!

By the way, we don’t consider 50+ days a Short Term Rental.

That’s the most expensive property – to buy or rent – in the state! Come over to the Dark Side… I mean the Gulf Coast – Tampa, St Pete, Sarasota, Venice, here in Fort Myers…

Hi @Claudette_Bradish

Also as you know Airbnb doesn’t accept third party bookings, so your friend should be telling her 27 year adult son to set up his own profile if he wants to find somewhere to stay on Airbnb.

From what @MissMiami is saying the son will struggle to find somewhere in Miami Beach to stay through Airbnb because of restrictions.

It sounds like if he wants to stay in Miami Beach he would be best looking for hostel or cheap motel accommodation. Or look at a nearby area without restrictions.

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Hi KenH
The son has his own profile and will be booking under that. His mom is an old friend from high school and is only helping him look by reaching out to me.
He has to be in Miami area because that is where the job is. (Yrs, with the 93 year old poet.) We have already checked cheap motels and hostels as well as couchsurfing and due to the last minute booking, everything appears to be full. He actually booked an airbnb previously but it was a scam. Now it’s the 11th hour and he’s scrambling.

I did not realize that. What is the definition of a STR for you? I have been an airbnb host and cohost for about 3 years. I have had guests stay anywhere from 1 day to 3 months (nurses) and have considered them all STR’s. Can anyone define/explain please?

No “standard” definition. But many states (not Florida) have laws where, if guests stay 30 days or more they get “renters rights” and cannot be evicted without undergoing an often length, expensive and hassle-ridden process. So many of us think of “anything over 30” as not short term.

Here in Florida, most folks think anything less than six months is short term, since we have an entire culture of “snowbirds” who come down from New England, the Midwest and Canada to avoid the cold, white, wet evil stuff…

Personally, anything over 30 days exceeds my definition of Short Term, and I just would not accept one set of guests “in my face” for that amount of time.

Hi @Claudette_Bradish

It sounds if he needs to stay in Miami then and nothing is available in his budget he will need to up his budget if he doesn’t want to travel in from a cheaper area.

As it’s for work at least he will be able to claim back as a business expense.

How was an Airbnb reservation a Scam?

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It was probably a listing with no reviews and got taken down. Then he lost his reservation.

Or the son of the friend wasn’t completely honest with his mom about what happened. I had a guest tell me she was scammed and I assumed it was an airbnb. But it turned out there were no airbnb’s that fit her needs so she found something on Craigslist. It was supposedly an empty room in a house with an owner with a sob story. My guest sent her $500 (not sure the method) and ordered a bed for the room. Then the woman quit replying to her texts and calls. I’m not sure what the final resolution was or if she was able to get her money back.

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Thank you for your thoughtful answer. Any of those scenarios are possible.
But since Claudette stated that the airbnb reservation was a scam, I would truly like her input regarding the true story.
No conflict intended.

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I am not sure how they were scammed as I did not inquire. But I do know they are not the type of people to use Craigslist for anything. And Chase is a responsible young man who would have a hard time lying to mom. It was likely a fake listing that got removed but it wasn’t my business.