Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: SHort Term Rentals

[Patricia Lautner (lautnerp]

Hi Ann,

The difference between swapping and renting out a room or home is that with
swapping, our entire family will stay in another family's home during the
exact time that they are occupying our home.  I swapped apartments for July
4th week a few years ago with a wonderful family from Burlington Cohousing
in VT.  We didn't meet each other in person before we made this
arrangement.  Since then, other swaps have happened.  The rule is that if
I'm swapping with someone, (or renting out my entire home), I will ask a
separate neighbor to be the host. This is the key, a swap or full unit
rental can't happen without a host willing to take responsibility. (FYI -
swapping or short term rentals of an entire unit happens rarely.  < 1x per
24 months at JPCohousing.)

One comment to Eris (who I respect very much) - wow!  How awful that there
was a terrible experience with mis-behaving guests.  It sounds like the
worse-case scenario our community discussed when we were talking about this
topic.  Our rules pretty much prevents this kind of problem.

Incidentally - our guest suite is in the commonhouse.  Anyone can have
guests stay in the suite and sometimes those guests are 'strangers' who
have some connection to one of us. (For example, one could host a musician
from someone's brother's band - having never met that person.)  In this
arrangement, the guests MUST be in the commonhouse because that's where
they are staying.  These folks are un-escorted and have a key to the
castle. Yet unlike this example, a short-term renter would not be allowed
in the commonhouse un-escorted, nor would they be given a key.  Therefore
in that sense, the bar is higher for a renter in one of the units then a
renter in the guest suite.

I suppose I have one more point about money.  I don't accept the statement
that money/business necessarily changes the dynamic.  Let me explain.  We
have shared home office space in the our commonhouse where therapists and
other professionals see clients on occasion.  This necessitates that the
business associates are on the property. (They have a separate entrance but
still.)  This doesn't "change the dynamic" because supporting our neighbors
IS THE dynamic. (Whether it's someone renting a room in their home, or a
client coming to the community for a service.)  So when I see someone who
is a client of one of our members looking lost, I am happy to point the way
and continue my lovely glass of wine with my neighbors on the CH Patio.
It's OK.

Cohousing policy - my favorite subject. :)

Best - Patti



On Sat, May 20, 2017 at 6:42 AM, Ann Zabaldo <zabaldo [at] earthlink.net> wrote:

>
> Patti —
>
> Happy to hear that JP has found a plan that works for you.  JP is a real
> model for showing how with thought and effort you have developed a way to
> accommodate everyone.  Sharing this may help other communities to do the
> same.
>
> Money changes the conversation because it moves the transaction from being
> one of sharing to a business.  Having businesses in a community in which
> people are coming in and out changes the nature of the whole community as
> Eris pointed out.
>
> One area that’s interesting to me is:  what’s the difference between
> “swapping” houses and “renting” out a room or home?  There does seem to be
> a difference but what is it exactly?  Is it this thing of a money
> transaction vs. “sharing”?  Is “sharing” a situation more in line w/ our
> often not well thought out values?
>
> Best --
>
> Ann Zabaldo
> Takoma Village Cohousing
> Washington, DC
> Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC
> Falls Church, VA
> 202.546.4654
>
> As long as you have two or fewer … your ducks are always in a row.  The
> Covert Comic
>
>
>
> > On May 19, 2017, at 6:47 PM, Patti Lautner <lautnerp [at] gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Both. But the agreement is that if you rent the whole home, someone from
> community agrees to be the responsible host. It's the same way we treat our
> guest suite. Strangers (everyone is a stranger to someone else-until they
> meet) are welcome as long as there is a named responsible host.
> >
> > A few of us have done whole house swaps with other families from
> different cities-same principals apply. But nobody seemed very concerned
> until money was exchanged. Funny how money changes the conversation
> sometimes.
> >
> > Best,
> > Patti
> >
> >> On May 19, 2017, at 2:49 PM, Beverly Jones Redekop <
> beverly.jones.redekop [at] gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> Do you allow people to rent their whole home while they are away? Or is
> >> this just renting a room in the home while present and occupying the
> rest
> >> of their home themselves?
> >>
> >>> On Fri, May 19, 2017, 4:49 AM Patti Lautner <lautnerp [at] gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> There was a thread on this topic a few years ago, one may want to
> search
> >>> the archives for more insights.
> >>>
> >>> It's important to consider the reasons why members want to participate
> >>> hosting AIRBNB for example, or other short-term rentals. For
> JPCohousing
> >>> (Boston) where affordability is a commonly held value, we understand
> that
> >>> some members are greatly relieved financially by short-term rentals.
> >>>
> >>> We have had discussions and put some boundaries around the practice
> >>> including: no unescorted access to the common house and the host
> member (or
> >>> host proxy, i.e. someone who also lives in the community) must be home
> to
> >>> take responsibility for their 'guests'. There is a calendar maintained
> >>> online where hosts are asked to list the names, duration, and any other
> >>> interesting information about the renter.
> >>>
> >>> I firmly believe that a 'no-short-term' rental policy is unfriendly to
> low
> >>> income and/or fixed income members. In addition, speaking from personal
> >>> experience as an occasional short-term rental host, I absolutely love
> >>> hosting. The extra income has helped support my college age kids so
> that
> >>> they can do semester abroad, or take a low pay internships while also
> >>> paying their student loans.
> >>>
> >>> It's my experience that the community can effectively address the
> concerns
> >>> instead of preventing the practice.
> >>>
> >>> Patti
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> On May 18, 2017, at 9:56 AM, Sharon Villines <
> sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> We don’t allow it — the bylaws say no "transient” rentals for the same
> >>> reasons Eris mentioned. “Transient” according to web searches is
> generally
> >>> interpreted to mean a month or less; some even six months.
> >>>>
> >>>> A community can’t be a community and a hotel at the same time.
> >>> Particularly not a hot-bed hotel.
> >>>>
> >>>> There is a good thread on this in the archives.
> >>>>
> >>>> Sharon
> >>>> ----
> >>>> Sharon Villines
> >>>> Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> >>>> http://www.takomavillage.org
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _________________________________________________________________
> >>>> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> >>>> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> _________________________________________________________________
> >>> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> >>> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >> _________________________________________________________________
> >> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> >> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> >>
> >>
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> >
> >
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
>
>
>