The acronyms AirBNB and VRBO may not mean anything to you, but it certainly does to our local hoteliers and to some neighbors. With the introduction of so much technology at our finger tips, we now are equipped to take advantage of so many new opportunities. Some home owners are now offering rooms in their home to rent to out of town guests, and in some instances, investors with second (or multiple) homes are offering multiple rooms/houses for rent to tourists. The municipal phrase for these specific uses are short term rentals. The City of Bellingham Planning Department recently asked the Chamber to convene a onetime focus group of hoteliers to discuss the impacts of this new industry and the City’s role managing these properties.

 

From the Chamber perspective, these properties impact our community in three different ways.

• First it impacts existing businesses. These businesses have licenses, permits, regulations all of which may be avoided by these properties. In addition there are certain taxes on overnight stays that traditional lodging pays. All of these taxes help fund organizations and events in our community. These traditional lodging facilities also employ local residents which provide economic input back into the community.
• Second is the impact on our residential neighborhoods. Commercial activity is not always best suited for residential areas.
• Third it definitely impacts our available housing stock in our community. As a the chamber, we are committed to working towards better solutions for our local housing issues. When multiple homes are being used to take customers away from other businesses and homes away from potential residents, our community loses.

 

At the focus group, the local lodging professionals were able to provide some greater insight to the City staff on the these impacts and the scope of how potential situations would and could impact their business. For example, there is a difference between an empty-nester renting out an extra bedroom or a professor renting out her home during the summer while on research, versus an owner of multiple homes using this as a substantial revenue generator while not being held to the same standards.

The compilation of this focus group and many other conversations will be presented in the near future to the Planning Commission and ultimately City Council.