Hello and Good Morning!
My name is Tawnya, and I am a super host here in Albuquerque, I am also on the cities Short Term Rental task force, spearheaded by City Counselor Diane Gibson. (Please share this information with other ABQ hosts).
I wanted to make sure that you were aware that the city task force exploring additional regulations for short term rentals in Albuquerque has a public meeting scheduled for next Tuesday the 19th at 6 PM at the greater Albuquerque Association of realtors office on university.
This is the link to the district 7 projects and planning meeting on the city’s website, if you aren’t able to view it here or on the website, please contact Petra Morris or Diane Gibson’s office for meeting details
https://www.cabq.gov/council/find-your-councilor/district-7/projects-planning-efforts/short-term-ren...
I was invited to participate on the task force after notifying my city counselor, Pat Davis, that I was concerned about overregulation having a substantial negative impact on our communities & families. I was also concerned that this proposed regulation may represent a case of big business interests influencing government to harm their competition (the short term rental host).
There are representatives of the hotel industry who support heavier regulations for short term rental owners, and they intend to invite several hotel owners and traditional bed and breakfast operators to attend the meeting.
Please come and represent yourself as a host, share your opinion either on a comment card or verbally during the Q and A session.
Also, please consider inviting your employees, friends, and neighbors who may support the continued ability of those of us who have become small business owners through Airbnb. If you are not able to attend this meeting, please make sure that you call your city counselor and Diane Gibson’s office to give them your thoughts on short term rentals in Albuquerque. You can do this after hours so that you don’t have to speak to anyone directly, I suggest writing a script for yourself about why do you support short term rentals and how they improves your community, then leaving a message if you aren’t comfortable talking with someone directly. Calling the mayors office is also helpful, as the mayor will have the final input after city Council makes their recommendations. This is going to be a long process, so please keep your ears to the ground for further developments, and keep in contact with your representatives so that they understand what their constituents want. I am also planning to send letters to the city Council, mayor, and my other political representatives in the community. If you would like a letter template, please reach out to me as a group of us have been working on developing one.
I host one listing in Albuquerque located in a duplex that I bought as a part of my retirement plan. I am a nurse, and many the companies I‘ve worked for have not provided me with the same retirement options that might have been available to me had I chosen a more lucrative career vs one which serves the public. The ability to increase my income on this property has helped me to improve the property inside & out, making the neighborhood more appealing for all. Because of the additional income from the listing, I am also able to provide a below market rate apartments on the other side of the duplex to an older Albuquerque couple. Strict regulations would have a negative impact on my family, and on the families of several hosts in my circle.
I personally make every effort to guide my guests to small local businesses, & local events so that they are able to experience the best that Albuquerque has to offer.
The representatives of the short term rental task force would like the city to understand that STR hosts boost the economy, and the incomes our families draw from this activity have helped many of us close income gap’s that otherwise would’ve been very difficult to accomplish.
We improve our properties and are excellent neighbors, regardless of whether we hire a manager, are living in the units, or elsewhere.
At the forefront of the proposed regulations are:
Requiring hosts to get a business license and a short term rental host permit in addition to the license.
Requiring hosts to comply with all existing laws, regulations, and ordinances. Which in the opinion of the lawyers I have spoken to, would be unnecessary to state, as it is implied that we are all expected to follow the rules and laws.
Limiting the number of Airbnb’s that would be allowed on one street (density limits). The example cities we have reviewed range anywhere from a complete and total ban on all Airbnb‘s, a ban on all non-host occupied airbnb’s, to a % ranging from 10% up. Many of the hosts I have spoken with feel that it should be up to individual neighborhood associations and HOAs to determine if they would like to ban STRs out right.
The density restriction comes as a result of the city being unsure if this is a residential versus commercial operation, and the fear of entire blocks in Albuquerque neighborhoods being bought up specifically for STR usage, thus destroying the character of the neighborhood (see NPR story #897).
I would personally support the city putting a density restriction of 50% on any one block, with the neighborhood associations able to provide stricter regulation if the residence of a particular neighborhood desire to do so and hosts able to apply for an exemption if their neighbors agree and desire higher than a 50% density. The hotel representatives on the task force have indicated their support for much lower numbers of 5 to 10% per block.
Owners may be required to post their permit numbers on their listings and would not be allowed to advertise their units for commercial uses like events, weddings, graduation parties etc.
The city and state are also in the process of requiring hosts to pay gross receipts taxes on their income in addition to the hospitality and lodging/occupancy taxes. This is something you may want to discuss with your tax advisor so that they can check the most current laws.
There has been concern expressed that short term rentals may impact affordable housing, though there have been no studies to show that this is the case in Albuquerque. It has been suggested by short term rental representatives that a fiscal impact study be completed for short term rentals, affordable housing, and also what the financial and administrative burdens of additional regulation would be. The feeling I get from the zoning and code enforcement departments are that with their current staffing, they don’t feel they would be able to enforce new regulations and that the current ordinances already cover many of the concerns opponents of short term rentals have.
It has also been suggested that some of the funds that will be generated by the additional regulation and licensing fees plus the new taxes should be diverted to affordable housing projects. I am in full support of this suggestion versus all additional funds going to pay administrative costs.
Please let me know if you have any questions, I hope that you will be able to attend the meeting next week to help us keep short term rentals operating safely in our community, and that if you aren’t, you will send a letter and call your representatives, the city Council, Diane Gibson, and the mayor.
Have a wonderful day!
Tawnya