Vacation Rentals are a still a hot topic and a tough one to address because not all vacation rentals are a problem. There are several things that make them a net-positive for the City: The owner of the property has an opportunity to make some income from their house. The visitor has an opportunity to do the tourist thing in our beautiful city. And the locals all benefit from the increased tourism spend because those visitors are going out to eat and shop and play.
But the silver lining of vacation rentals does have a cloud around it and that is the dreaded Party Houses!
The Party Houses are when a someone hires a vacation rental and then hosts a big party with too many people, or people who are too loud, or just generally a group of people who’s momma didn’t raise ’em right to respect the neighbors and neighborhood.
Here’s what to do when dealing with vacation rental that disturbs or trashes the neighborhood:
I. Call the City:
Report Issues of Vacation Rentals: www.hollywoodfl.org/946/Vacation-Rental-License Whether it is a loud party, parking or trash, report it to city’s 24 hr phone number, or via a real-time website. Also you can call 954.231.2375 however, website reporting brings best results. No answer from Grancius, (Hollywood’s vendor servicing VCR complaints), then call: Allison Stafford 954-921-3201
For loud, or late, parties the Hollywood Police Department recommends you Call 911. This is only way to insure a police report and quickest way to stop loud noises after 11pm.
Call Code Enforcement: 954-774-6704. This is an important back up documentation. Also, you can go online to https://www.hollywoodfl.org/744/Hollywood-Connect. A property with three violations in 12-month period will cause a revocation of Vacation rental license.
Call the Broward County Property Appraiser Fraud hotline at 954-357-6900 This is when the VCR host is claiming a Homestead Exemption and owner doesn’t live at the house and/or rents for more than 30 days in a year. Also report online anonymously at www.web.bcpa.net/onlineforms/fraudonlineform
II. Call the Vacation Rental Platform
Airbnb: 855-635-7754 Airbnb does not allow listed properties to be used for party houses! Airbnb listed properties that have 4 disturbance reports in one year will be unlisted from their platform. However, Airbnb needs verification from Hollywood Police, Hollywood Gracius and or Code enforcement report.
VRBO: 877-202-4291. VRBO is not as responsive as Airbnb to reported problems at host that use their Vacation Rental platform. VRBO wants neighborsto first contact host. Even though they have a non tolerance policy: “Inform the host about Vrbo’s no-tolerance policy for hosts and guests who abuse the right to rent short-term rental properties.” Average wait time is 45 minutes. It is reported that VRBO’s customer service is slow and unresponsive. VRBO responds to complaints within a few days. or you can use this time intensive form to report problems online: www.homeaway.secure.force.com/helpcenter/StayNeighborly
Report all the ways: City, Hollywood Police, Code Enforcement and by VCR Platform!
We can stop the disturbances if WE ALL Report incidences promptly and immediately. When violations occur share information with neighbors and ask them to also report.
I recommend you keep a log, date of disturbance, type of disturbance (noise, parking, violence, trash, etc.) and action taken. When you can list specific dates and times to the people you are reporting the problems too you will make your job and their job much easier.
The owners of these properties don’t want problems anymore than we as neighbors do. It takes a truly heartless person to plan, on purpose, a party in a neighborhood that can be heard two and three blocks away. Those people do exist, but we are the ones who live here and together we can shut those people down.