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PHOENIX – Vacation rental site VRBO says it is implementing a ban on one-night rental months in Arizona in response to concerns about large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one-night rental ban will run through January and was revealed in a letter Tuesday to Gov. Doug Ducey, the Arizona Republic reported.
The site’s parent company, Expedia Group, plans to develop long-term steps to help eliminate large meetings through changes to the reservation system and by identifying “bad actors after the fact to prevent future incidents,” the statement read. letter.
Pandemic-related concerns about large gatherings have added to previously voiced complaints about short-term rentals of houses used for frequent parties and other gatherings that produce loud noise, rude behavior and congestion on the streets.
The problem has worsened since Arizona lawmakers in 2016 passed legislation prohibiting municipalities from banning rentals. That allowed them to prosper.
Amanda Pedigo, Expedia Group Vice President, said the company recently met with community leaders and Ducey’s staff.
“These conversations revealed a unifying question: How do you make vacation rentals safer for everyone in an uncertain environment and reduce the potential negative impacts of large group gatherings?” Pedigo’s letter said. “As a family travel-based business, we take those concerns and comments very seriously.
In July, Airbnb suspended or removed 50 short-term rental listings in Arizona that received complaints or violated its policies related to parties and events. The company said that month it had taken enforcement action at party houses.
“While the vast majority of hosts in Arizona take significant steps to prevent unauthorized parties … our actions today are targeting the small minority of hosts who have received warnings about staying responsibly,” Airbnb said when it removed all 50 homes. of parties.
Ducey’s spokesman Patrick Ptak said the governor, who signed the 2016 legislation, appreciates the VRBO move.
“While we are not suggesting this specific change, we appreciate your proactive efforts and caution during the pandemic,” Ptak said.
The Legislature earlier this year considered the rent issue again, but a bill to establish new rules in the industry failed amid complaints from some lawmakers that it did not go far enough.
Sen. Kate Brophy McGee, a Phoenix Republican who sponsored a different bill to regulate short-term rentals, said VRBO’s ban on overnight rentals was a good sign.
“I am feeling much needed cooperation, and I appreciate it,” said Brophy McGee. “These poor (neighbors) are just being tormented.”
However, a one-night ban by a business is not enough because troubled tenants can use other rental platforms and some houses have been rented for week-long parties, he said.
The Brophy McGee bill and others on the issue died when the Legislature early suspended its 2020 regular session due to the pandemic, but said the issue should be a priority when lawmakers meet again.
The Associated Press
