It’s a booming business for some, a headache for others, and now Orlando is weighing in.

  • City ordinance to regulate short-stay properties
  • Ordinance says host must on on-site, must register w/ city
  • Some Airbnb hosts see ordinance as negative  

Monday was the first reading of a city ordinance that would put rules in place for short-stay properties, like Airbnb.

The ordinance reads that the host must be on-site, the majority of home can’t be rented out, and hosts will need to register with the city.

“What we’re trying to balance is allowing people to use their home in this fashion with also the concerns of people who live next-door or across the street," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Orlando said that they technically prohibit such stays, but it’s been difficult to regulate.

Now they’re following the lead of other cities — in particular Denver and Los Angeles — in placing restrictions on how the properties operate.

“The primary thing is that the owner of the home needs to be present in the residence. You can’t just turn it into a vacation-type thing — an absentee owner," he said. “It’s actually opening up a little bit under our ordinances.”

Airbnb said in a statement that they agree Orlando isn't clamping down like other major European cities such as Berlin to Amsterdam have done, as concerns have arisen about "over-tourism."

Benjamin Breit, an Airbnb public affairs official, said the following statement:

“Airbnb and our local host community strive to be a good partner to the city and introduce new visitors to Orlando's thriving neighborhoods. The city is approaching the growth of the sharing economy in a smart, thoughtful manner. We'll continue working to help enhance Orlando's status as a global hub for family-friendly tourism.”

But not everyone sees the changes as positive, including some Airbnb hosts themselves.

Cassie Turner has been renting out part of her Thornton Park home for years after suddenly finding herself a single mother with a high mortgage payment.

“It was great, it allowed me to keep my house," she said.

As a real estate broker, Turner said that she's introduced many visitors to the market through her bungalow home.

“I’ve been able to connect with them and relocate them, bring them to the area," she said. “I actually kind of fell in love with it."

That all changed a few weeks ago, when a cease and desist letter arrived from the city.

Turner complied and stopped her bookings. Now she's contemplating selling her home, unsure if the ordinance will keep her from running her business.

“I’m like, 'I guess Orlando is not going to be home anymore,'" she said. “I don’t want to have to just sell my home.”

Turner and her business partner Clayton Studstill, who have other properties in Port St. Joe, said that they have no problem with paying additional tax. But they think the notion that the host would need to be on site for each booking is onerous.

“It’s going to affect her business as a super host," he said. “To thrive without fear of foreclosure — that put that back on the table again.”

Short-term rentals in Orlando is no small business, with around 1,200 in the city, according to Monday's City Council presentation.

In addition, Airbnb Florida reports that the state’s vacation rental hosts raked in $450 million in extra income last year, hosting 2.7 million guests.

While the ordinance passed on the first read, staff will revisit how duplexes are addressed before the second reading on Feb. 12.

The ordinance will also "sunrise," going into effect at a later date — July 1, 2018.