Florida Woman Is At War With Illegal St. Pete Airbnb’s
Usually, when residents hear that new businesses are coming to their city, they are happy about the news. Not only does that bring in money, but as the number of new businesses grows so does their economic contributions. However, that is not the case for St. Petersburg and short-term rentals. More specifically, this is not the case for Marley Price. This Florida local has a big problem with St. Pete Airbnb’s.
The Problem With St. Pete Airbnb’s
Did you know there were zoning regulations against short-term rentals in St. Petersburg? Me neither! According to Amy Foster, a St. Petersburg City Council Member, rental terms shorter than 30 days are allowed only up to three times within 365 days. On top of that, the city is struggling with a housing crisis. Therefore, sites like Airbnb and VRBO are seen as threats to the housing market. Even though these regulations exist, they are not really enforced unless there are complaints. That’s where Marley Price comes in. Marley has single-handedly waged war against Airbnb’s.
Just to show you how serious she is, Marley Price has flagged more than 100 homes she claims are operating as illegal short-term rentals since late February. She has gained a lot of support in the process too. Her posts on social media now reach more than a million people admiring her bravery. People love her for a couple of reasons, but the main one is the fact that people know these regulations don’t get enforced unless someone makes the city aware of them. There are even Reddit groups that you can join to help their fight against illegal rentals.
According to Axios, St. Petersburg has received 1,012 complaints and issued 775 violations since the city launched a short-term rental tracking system in 2016. Price has accounted for 131 properties and 105 have received violations alone. See, not all heroes wear capes, sometimes they are armed with SeeClickFix.com.
Even though Price is hailed as a hero, she wants to see more action from the city and not have the responsibility fall on her. The topic has been brought up for debate in Tallahassee for years about how to regulate vacation homes, but there has been no resolution.
Do you think vacation rentals should be allowed?
Source: Axios
Residents Agree These 5 Things Are Missing In St. Pete
Multipurpose "Food Hall" Space
Tampa has Armature Works, so why doesn’t St. Pete have a similar concept of a food hall/multipurpose space. Unlike the pier, preferably something indoors would be nice!
Outdoor Skating Area
This totally fits the vibe of St. Pete. We’re surprised there’s no public outdoor skating rink of any kind. A partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning would get people out there too! If this ever happens, they better make sure it’s shaded!
Costco
Last but not least on our list is Costco. The closest Costco to the St. Pete area is off Gulf To Bay Blvd in Clearwater. We need one off 4th street or 34th street!
