A lawmaker in Arizona tells Florida to say NO to this type of zoning change

“We didn’t expect that real estate investors, LLCs and commercial operators were going to buy houses for the sole purpose of operating them as vacation rentals. We didn’t envision that houses rented exclusively for parties, weddings and large events would pop up in formerly quiet neighborhoods … creating an affordable housing crisis that has forced out families and caused one of the city’s two elementary schools to close.

Proponents of this legislation might be well-intentioned, but by removing local control of short-term rental policy, legislators in Florida would be stripping their cities and towns of a critical duty that local government is uniquely qualified and best positioned to handle.

With the explosion of Airbnb and VRBO in the past few years, the problems have grown. Noise, parties and illegal activities have drastically increased in our communities.

As a former police officer, I understand the challenges of enforcing violations on these abuses and preventing them from repeating, particularly when it’s a new group of people coming in every few days. I also know the drain this causes on our local law enforcement resources — resources that are funded by local tax-paying residents.

I’m a conservative and a strong proponent of people’s property rights. But if I’m living next to one of these houses, I’ve got property rights too. Localities must be able to balance the demand of tourism with the well-being of their own residents. Based on my first-hand experience, I encourage Florida lawmakers to strongly consider the impacts of this proposed legislation and look to Arizona as a case study and a warning.”