This morning, I was thinking about the challenges which governments (local, state, federal) have with creating common sense rules and regulations for ensuring that new business models (enabled by big tech) do not negatively impact local communities.
One example of an emerging business model (now been around for years) is Electric Vehicles (EV). Internal Combustion (IC) vehicles buy fuel. The fuel price (each gallon) includes taxes for the maintenance of roads used by all vehicles (EV and IC).
Vehicles are also required to have a registration license plate, so that law enforcement can enforce that road safety laws are being followed. Most would agree that speeding and driving under the influence can negatively impact local communities.
Here’s an example of local government (after years of dealing with litigation) working with local community leaders to create common sense rules and regulations.In Austin, 94% of complaints against Vacation Rentals involve unlicensed short-term rental (STR) properties. Austin has about 2,400 registered STR properties. According to data from AirDNA, Austin has about 15,000 STR vacation rental listings.
Recently, Austin City Council passed additional STR common sense rules and regulations.
Austin passes new short-term rental rules cracking down on unlicensed operators
Vacation rental websites must display a license number on each STR advertisement.
Vacation Rental websites must confirm the hotel occupancy taxes (HOT) collected.
Vacation rental websites must de-list unlicensed STR properties (when city asks).
Vacation rental websites are banned from collecting fees on unlicensed STR rental properties.
Collecting HOT taxes provides a revenue stream for local government to support tourism, and to support a growth in the inventory of housing for single-family residential use. A larger inventory of housing for single-family residential properties can also support more affordable housing for local residents whom provide necessary local services.
Recently it was estimated that 1,000 vacation rentals exist in the Pagosa Springs area.
90% of the STR properties are located in unincorporated Archuleta county (about 900).
10% of the STR properties are located in the town of Pagosa Springs (about 100).
This is an estimate because permitted vacation rental properties within Pagosa Springs are no longer tracked or published as of 01/16/2024.
Permitted Vacation Rentals
An opportunity exists for town leadership to pass common sense rules and regulation on vacation rental properties.
Hopefully everyone agrees that it would not be common sense to not require the display and monitoring of state required vehicle registration. Likewise, it is common sense that vacation rental websites be required to display a license number on each STR advertisement.
Passing common sense rules and regulations on vacation rental property websites would provide an opportunity for town leadership to more fully collect HOT taxes, and provide an opportunity for Archileta leadership to consider. A reasonable opportunity (say 90 days) should be a reasonable period of time for Vacation rental websites to display a license number on each STR advertisement. If town or county ask, Vacation rental websites should be required to de-list unlicensed STR properties.
Hopefully all would agree that Vacation Rental websites should be banned from collecting fees on unlicensed STR rental properties. Likewise, vehicles should not be allowed to operate without a license plate (unrestricted use of private property) to avoid enforcement of public safety laws.
In Austin, 94% of complaints against Vacation Rentals involve unlicensed short-term rental (STR) properties.
It is difficult to monitor who is doing what with vacation rental properties in Pagosa Springs, or Archuleta County.