My township and neighbors strike again!

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They’re baaack! Code enforcement leaves another card on my door, and also sniffed out other hosts in my township. I was told by my zoning director that neighbors have been taking photos of my guest’s cars (that were parked in MY driveway on MY private property) and sending them to him. I have no idea who has been doing it or how long it’s been going on for. They refused to tell me.

I thought all this went away, but I guess it was wishful thinking. I feared something would resurface eventually…but not after almost 6 months!

I had no indication that this was sparked by rowdy guests. It could possibly be by the same neighbors who reported me last summer. The township gave me no information. I think neighbors are fearing the “stream of strangers” coming into neighborhoods. But what they are doing is intrusive.

They told all of us “we are operating a bed and breakfast in a residential zone”.

For those who are new to this post and did not see the ones from this past summer, please nobody say I did not look up my zoning codes or anything, or “zoning is zoning”, because at the time I started Airbnb there was NOTHING in the code books about short-term rentals or home-sharing, etc. My township has communist-era codebooks and still go by them.

There’s about 20 or so hosts in my township and I was contacted by a few today. Some other hosts also contacted others. These are own homes which we own and pay for (none of us are in HOA’s), and home-sharing should be our right. I live in my listed property.

It’s funny how airbnb tries to promote home-sharing and they tell you “know your local laws” and all that jazz, but many small towns like mine have old code books and will not state anything about sharing your home or short-term rentals.

To resolve this it may have to be done as a group, which I will band together with the other hosts, contact an attorney and take it to the county. If we keep fighting the township, they could create ordinances against us rather than for us.

Worse case scenario I go long-term and set my listing to a minimum of 30 night, which will not be that much of an issue. To my knowledge, long-term is not considered “transient” or “tourist”.

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I started my own Airbnb in ignorance as many did. It’s taken me close to 2 years to finally wonder why is it that when the CEO of Airbnb Brian Chesky started offering $80/night rentals of an air-mattress on the living room of his shared SF rental apartment - his landlord didn’t kick him out? Or why he didn’t get any meth addicts or thieves? Or whatever. I guess as long as Airbnb was underground and rare no one cared. But now it’s huge and it has definitely disrupted whole economies and neighborhoods and who knows how long it will be viable for people to really make a living doing this as more regulations are enforced.

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i also went ahead and started mine (I later looked up the codes after hearing about zoning violations in other towns, but I found nothing in my town’s codebooks), since I thought I own my home, I’m not in an HOA, so what’s the harm?

I also should have known sooner or later a neighbor would tattle on me, since this is a neighborhood with houses fairly close together, but I thought that would have been caused by a noisy guest causing mischief. I never imagined I would be spied upon by neighbors for no known reason, when neither I or my guests have caused any harm. Neighbors can sure be intrusive!

Yes, it seems for those who start Airbnb, it’s like keep doing it until a neighbor rats you out. How is that promoting the sharing economy?

I am one of those who made a living doing Airbnb, and it made a good side income, which I was dependant on for financial stability, It helped me avoid having to sell the house. With all that is going on, I’m teetering more towards moving to another township, and to a place with no neighbors. It may be a longer drive to and from work, but it may be worth it. This situation really turned me away from neighbors.

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I started mine since my neighbor was running one and to be quite honest it was horrible having him as a neighbor because there were always loud house parties and excess garbage floating down the street and blocked parking. Things have gotten much quieter lately for whatever reason. Most likely because there’s a million new Airbnbs in the area now so our bookings have gone down.

5

Try to get all your neighbors to start their own airbnbs…lol

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This is certainly one of the prices we pay for living in neighborhoods. Although you are using the term intrusive, your driveway is “in plain view,” so there is no expectation of privacy there, either from neighbors, passersbys or the government.

Keep in mind that if you are away from neighbors you might also be inconvenient for airbnb guests.

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This is always subjective. As I posted in another thread, I’m not allowed to build anything right up against my property line. There has to be a certain distance between houses for safety reasons. I want to paint my house orange but neighbors say that lowers property values. I think airbnb is in that nebulous “lowers property values” category. Honestly, if you didn’t airbnb yourself would it bother you if a neighbor did?

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Check that too. Here in Hawaii any renting under 180 days a year is considered transient accommodations and therefore subject to TAT collection.

Guests parking in your driveway are not impacting these busybodies. Sheeze.
But again, like last time, they did not cite you? They just left a card again?

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Good question. If I remember correctly they wouldn’t even bother to return her call when this happened before.

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No it would not, honestly I would not even pay attention if the neighbors are doing it. As I said I do not interact with my neighbors or do not know anything about them, so as far as i’m concerned if there were many different cars coming and going, I may not be observant enough to notice, or I could have thought they were family or friends visiting. I dont even know which cars belong to my next door neighbors.

If their guests were rowdy and caused damage to my property, then that would be different. But I had no indication that my guests damaged anyone’s property.

My next door neighbor plays soccer with his two young sons in their front yard, and there’s been more than one occaison where the kids kicked their ball over my fence and into my yard. One of the kids opened my gate and went into my yard to get the ball, but left right away… I didn’t have the heart to complain.

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Yes, it was just a card, like last time, The code officer was not available, unless she was avoiding me again., but I spoke to the zoning director, and he tells me about neighbors taking photos of my guest’s car. I had no idea this was going on. He also tells me other hosts were tracked down and now he says he is taking enforcement action.

He didn’t mention that "variance’ thing, probably because here’s 20-some hosts in my town and that would be too many variances. He tells us all to shut down in 30 days or get cited. We are fighting it and see where it goes. Possibly, with a group of us, we may accomplish something, but i’m not 100% confident.

Gee, during the holiday season. What a scrooge!

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If the neighbors came onto my property to take the pictures, then that could be trespassing. My driveway is long and the cars are parked up close to the house.

maybe time to get a surveilance camera, if they are still at it! I should be allowed to aim it on my driveway and not on the public street.

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Exactly! Don’t be one of those GET OFF MY LAWN types! :smiley:

My kids still remember how mean the neighbors were when their frisbee landed on their roof. Granted, the frisbee stayed there until the roof was replaced some years later but the boys still remember the neighbors as being mean, all these years later.

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I’m sure you’ll keep us posted.

Doesn’t it just make you want to paint your house orange or do something else that is perfectly legal and completely annoying?

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I think you’ll have to bribe your neighbors to shut up.

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Yeah, I should paint my house orange. It’s an eyesore but legal.

There were no eyesores with my Airbnb because my guests came in 1 car and parked their car in the driveway next to mine, so it looked like an ordinary residence.

Yet nothing is done about those who park their monster truck cars on the narrow street which makes it hard to drive through.

There are bigger nuisances in this neighborhood, like screaming kids, barking dogs, loud music parties, etc. People have yard sales all the time and those bring strangers into the community, their cars are parked all along the street, and nobody complains about those.

i looked all over my town’s codes and I could not find anything about how many days defines a transient guest. That will be something to ask the attorney.

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Yes, as previously discussed.

Maybe you should start.

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18

Maybe I should.

People never cease to amaze me.

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Yes, i think so

I feel what goes on in my property should stay on my property. If my Airbnb is not causing harm then it’s nobody’s business but mine. I leave people alone and I feel I’m being harassed and stalked.

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I recommend that you create a local advocacy group, get involved in your local govt, and learn what is or is not allowed under your zoning laws.
Welcome to the club.
Check out
http://stradvocacy.org/
Get moving get active and good luck.