The days of short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO might be coming to a swift end in the city of New Orleans. The city council on Thursday, May 24 unanimously passed a city-wide ordinance calling for a short-term rental lease ban. These areas include Uptown, the Lower Garden District, Central City, Marigny, Treme, Bywater, Mid-City, and the 7th Ward. Opponent to the short-term rentals, City Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer, brought the proposal to a vote.
This new ordinance states that owners in the above-mentioned areas will not be able to create nor renew leases without a homestead exemption.
Since Louisiana has no state property tax, homeowners must file for a homestead exemption. In order to qualify for one, you must own and reside inside the property, and only one residence per individual or married couple can qualify.
What this means for the city
Short-term rentals in New Orleans is a highly debated topic among residents of the city. Some claim it brings a viable source of revenue to cash-starved citizens. On the other hand, it also leads to the increase of affordable rent and destabilization of historic neighborhoods.
A study on the impact of short-term rentals will now take place on September 21st. It will determine the economic effects it has had on the city.
The city reports $6 million in taxes has been collected from AirBnB since April 2017. While there hasn’t been much time to gather data since the previous regulations in April, this study will bring the true impact to light.
The future for short-term rentals
Licenses will remain in effect for a year after obtaining one, but renewals will not be granted. In all, there are 4,307 short-term rental licenses in the city, 2,225 of them are affected by the full temporary ban and more than 900 by the partial temporary ban in commercial districts.
Share your thoughts in the comments below. How do you think this ban will affect the long-term health of our economy and neighborhood identity?
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