Traverse City, MI

Scott-and-Rene0
Level 2
Traverse City, MI

Traverse City, MI

Welcome to Traverse City, MI

 

Hopefully this is where we can share a discussion of local interest from around our region.

59 Replies 59

Hi Dave, 

 

Please get a hold of me.

Curt ****,  Old Mission Peninsula

[Personal information hidden for safety reason - to use the direct messaging system here in the Community Center, hover over the post profile photo and click 'Send Message']

Most important right now is for you to NOT reply to the cease and desist order if you cave not already done so.   As mentioned above please get a hold of me through the email noted.   So legally having you respond vs. a legal representative could/would result in any statements you make now being able to be used against you in say the Michigan Tax Tribunal or local court because they are most likely saying you are in violation of the zoning ordinance.  A lawyer should respond.   Our Alliance for Responsible Traverse Home Sharing has one we/I have worked with. 

Dave,

 

That was well said.

 

I also received a letter after hosting this past summer. I spoke at the end of a City Commission Meeting not long ago, about the positive experience of having an Airbnb in the City. Afterwards three Commissioners told me they need to hear more from people like me because all they ever hear are negatives from the few vocal people who are against them.

 

Right now the City Planning Commission and the City Commission are focussed on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU's). They are considering restrictive ammendments that would inhibit ADU's. The Planning Commission is doing a study session on them December 11th and then the City Commission will decide on the changes December 18th.

 

Once this is behind them they may be open to looking again at Short Term Home Share Rentals (Airbnb's). I was told by a City Planner that this is a low priority for them, and unless we raise the issue nothing will happen. Their solution has been for people who want to do Airbnb's is to get a Tourist Home License - not the best fit.

 

As you said, Dave, we need to make our voices heard. One place for us to start is to tell our own individual positive stories about Airbnb's in Traverse City to the City Planners and the City Commissioners. This can be done through emails, arranging to meet with them individually for coffee, and speaking at the end of their meetings when a small window for public comment is open. 

 

The web site: traversecitymi.gov has all the names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

 

Gary

Boardman Neighborhood

 

Hey Guys,

 

I launched a new Facebook page called Traverse City for Airbnb/VRBO about an hour ago.  Please feel free to like the page and share it with anybody you know that would find it interesting.

By the way, Gary, I met with City Commissioner Tim Werner a few weeks ago.  He said he's in agreement that short term rentals should be allowed in residential neighborhoods.  Now we need to convince 3 other commissioners.  Werner said that will take voices showing up at the meetings and making themselves heard.  Perhaps we can start some organizing w this Facebook page and go from there. 

Dave

Hi Dave,

 

Great idea..  There is a FB page Alliance for responsible Grand Traverse Home share.   I am willing to take it down and merge with yours.  There are two articles there but very limited activity.  I'll merge tonight.  Maybe name should be expanded to Grand Traverse vs TC.   Curt ****

Ifticar0
Level 1
Sterling Heights, MI

hi can i ask question to ask u.

Gary200
Level 2
Traverse City, MI

Hi All,

 

Dave, nice going talking to Tim Werner and setting up the Facebook page (just "liked" it).

I talked to Brin Hass awhile ago and I believe he is for Airbnbs within thr city. Today I sent a copy of the "Forum" article I wrote for the Record Eagle (December 29th) to all the City Planning Commissioners. They are about to decide the topics they want to address for 2018. I'm hoping they will elevate  Airbnb from the bottom of their agenda. I received a favorable response from three.

 

There is a regional Airbnb representative, Brandon Borbenkircher out of Chicago brandon.bordenkircher@airbnb.com, who we should try to bring into this conversation. He was suggesting to me to get some TC Airbnb hosts together at my house to plan a way forward, but I'm going out of town for a couple of months. He said he had somes hosts he could suggest.

 

Keep up the good work,

Gary

 

 

Bob-and-Debi0
Level 2
Traverse City, MI

Just received our stop letter from the City of TC. Would love to get involved.

April98
Level 2
Grayling, MI

I rent a cabin in northern Michigan on HomeAway I charge the guest a 6% tax for the state of Michigan i pay this fee. I just join Airbnb and they say they pay the 6% tax does anyone know anything about this do we need to report this to the state of Michigan? Thanks April 

 I don’t think so.  Curt

I was reading that Airbnb does collect and remit the sales use tax, unlike VRBO. But you do need to tell the tax people from the state of Michigan how much was collected and remitted on your behalf. 

Dan-and-Marlene0
Level 2
Traverse City, MI

Greetings to the group:

Curt, thank you for your reply to my earlier email about short term rentals in East Bay Twp.  We are now proactively involved with the township to represent a positive experience of the issue to them and making some small changes to the ordinance that just was put into effect in June.  Wanted to ask the group if there is a host club in place for Traverse City area?  I would like to see or offer an opportunity for current Airbnb hosts to meet and share experiences, information, ideas, support and etc.  I also liked the page on Facebook, but it seems more linked to getting the current ordinance issue to TC resolved. I am asking to have a host club in place to be more helpful/supportive to current hosts who use the site.  I thank you all in advance for the response.  I'm also willing to set this up and coordinate on the site if there's interest.  Blessings, Marlene Baldwin

Hi Dan and Marlene.  Elmwood Township has been asked to consider prohibiting Airbnb rentals in Elmwood.  I am the Supervisor in Elmwood, and I have been an Airbnb host for the past 5 years, so I will have to recuse myself from any Board discussion on the agenda item.  I love being an Airbnb host and would hate to see our opportunity here in Elmwood disappear.  I know East Bay recently went through an ordinance, any advice on how best to proceed?   Thanks.  Jeff Shaw

You can see the correspondence from a citizen in the Jan 14th packet here:

 

https://www.leelanau.cc/downloads/january_2019_packet_1.pdf. 

 

It seems short term rental and home share is allowed now so a zoning ordinance change would be needed and this citizen seems motivated to get things started.  Jeff I think yes you would have to recuse yourself from business considerations but you could sit in the audience and speak in public comment as a citizen.  You need to get as many people there as is possible to speak up positively about airbnb.  Regards,   Curt Peterson 

 

 

Jeff:  Just saw this post on the thread.  My involvement with East Bay in getting the township to modify their ordinance has not been successful.  I had the support of the supervisor and the planner, but when we went to the board asking them to consider modifying the ordinance to acknowledge the different type of rentals, (ie Owner occupied, Host unoccupied, Investor type and etc) and also modify the frequency limitation in the ordinance (States only one rental in a 7 day period).  We had other Airbnb hosts at the November meeting and made the presentation and you can see this on the video recording of the meeting.  The outcome was that the board didn't want to revisit the ordinance, stated they spent two years on it and wanted to see how it would go before they go back and make any changes.  That was really frustrating seeing how I went to supervisor and asked if the rest of the board was tired of this issue or if they would be open to listening and making more changes.  So I did a ton of work to prove why modifying the frequency was needed and also why their needed to be designations to types of rentals as you can't have an ordinance fit all situations.  I got no where.  The frequency piece alone is almost impossible to manage on Airbnb.  We are a host onsite rental. We have a guest suite in our home with private entrance.  Our average stay is 2-3 nights.  Folks don't likely spend a 7 day stay with us because we don't provide a full kitchen in their suite.  They can use our kitchen, but the accomodation is not totally a furnished home (full kitchen).  Only 4% of listings on Airbnb list as a 7 day rental.  Most list in the 2-3 night range and that is an accurate representation of guests using the site.  So I pleaded that if we could only host 1 time in 7 days that the minute someone would book a stay, we would have to go into the calendar and block out the rest of the days of the week so that we weren't hosting twice in 7 days.  But in doing so, you make it that you can't host again until the first day is free again.  So if a guest books Friday-Monday, then you cannot host again until the following Friday.  So you block out Tue, Wed, Thurs.  So you now have lost the possibility of hosting a Thursday/Sunday and you are now only able to host another Friday/Monday.  It becomes too restrictive and your ability to get enough people to view your listing is difficult.  And what if someone books and you don't get into Airbnb quick enough to block off the other dates and someone books in that time?  Then you would be in violation of the ordiance.  You would be fined or if you cancel the reservation, to avoid being in violation, you then lose your status as a SuperHost.  We made a passionate case that those that are host occupied rentals are not the problem children that neighbors complain about.  We are there to police our guests and we are onsite to address issues.  If you have any other questions, I'm happy to help and can be found on the social site that starts with the letter F.  Blessings, Marlene Baldwin