No to AirBnB

Short-term rentals of residential housing units hosted by such companies as AirBnb and Homeaway undermine the foundation of our neighborhoods by circumventing zoning laws and diminishing our quiet enjoyment. Zoning laws are the tools available to the local community to implement public policy and to protect property values for all citizens.

Permitting transient renters to access a single-family or condominium community, significantly reduces quality of life and property values. Only AirBnb, Homeaway and absentee owners benefit.

Unlike hotels, there are no managers, oversight, required maintenance or tax benefits to the community. If the city of Miami Beach permits short-term rentals, eventually the city will be nothing more than a vacation resort with no full-time residents and no need for schools or community services, just more police to manage the overpopulation and waste collectors to pick up the mess short-term renters leave behind.

We should not be fooled or bullied by such corporate vultures. We must support Mayor Philip Levine and the commissioners to protect the zoning laws that protect where we live.

This story was originally published March 12, 2017 at 11:00 AM with the headline "No to AirBnB."