Latest news with #shortTermRentals
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Brickell condo owners sue association over alleged short-term rentals, unsafe conditions
More than 30 families living at Brickell on the River South have filed a lawsuit against their condominium board. The residents are accusing board members of allowing illegal short-term rentals, which they say have turned their upscale building into a hotel-like environment and compromised the safety of residents. "We put a significant amount of money down buying into a community that we thought was safe and now that's being threatened," said a resident who asked not to be identified. The lawsuit, filed by dozens of condo owners, alleges the board knowingly ignored Miami-Dade County regulations by permitting short-term rental activity. Residents claim these rentals have led to repeated disturbances, including strangers entering the building, loud parties, and a decline in security enforcement. "There is a lot that is happening through the weekends that makes me really get involved in what we're doing right now," said another resident, also speaking anonymously. Photos included in the lawsuit show incidents such as a woman kicking in a door, near-nudity in a hot tub, alleged sexual activity in the community pool, and outsiders loitering on the premises. The complaint also features screenshots of Airbnb listings with positive reviews and text messages between guests and the building's valet. "In the driveway, there have been a lot of physical and verbal altercations with the valet and other residents from people [who] are strangers [who] don't live there," one resident added. Attorney Daniel Layton, who represents the plaintiffs, said the legal action is about restoring order and accountability. "They want to see this board of directors defend their rights — the rights we believe to be the majority of unit owners in the building — and make sure that this building is not converted into a hotel in everything but name," Layton said. Through their attorney, Carolina Sznajderman Sheir, the Brickell on the River South board called the claims "inaccurate, inflammatory, and legally unsound." "The current Board's term began on November 21, 2024. Since assuming office, the Board has taken proactive and consistent action to address unlawful short-term rentals within the building," Sheir said in a statement. "This includes enforcement efforts consistent with the City of Miami's zoning code, Miami 21, and the Association's Declaration." The board disputes several allegations, claiming some predate the current leadership's term and others have been mischaracterized: • The door-kicking incident occurred in October 2023, before the current board took office. • Claims of sexual activity in the pool were denied, with management saying fully clothed individuals were dancing. • A report of a security guard sleeping on the job was confirmed, but the guard was immediately terminated after a single shift. "While isolated attempts by individual owners may occur, they are neither sanctioned nor ignored," Sheir said. "The Board is fully committed to upholding its obligations and abide by governing law." The board also alleges the lawsuit is politically motivated, spearheaded by a former board member and a small group of residents whose prior complaints to the city failed to gain traction. The City of Miami did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the lawsuit or the enforcement of short-term rental rules at the property. The board says it will not comment further while the case is pending and directed all media inquiries to its legal counsel.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Class war': outsiders moving to Puerto Rico trigger displacement
Gloria Cuevas thought she would live forever in her pink, century-old house on Puerto Rico's west coast -- but then her landlord decided to transform the home into an Airbnb. Cuevas left her home -- now purple and split in two -- and her beloved city for another further south, forced out by the rising cost of living and an explosion of short-term rentals on the US Caribbean island territory. Puerto Rico -- long a draw for sun-worshipping tourists -- is also a hotspot for foreign investment and offers tax incentives to attract outsiders. "At first, I couldn't come back here," Cuevas, 68, told AFP, gazing at the home she once made her own. "It made me feel sad and angry at the same time." Cuevas's experience is becoming an all too familiar tale across the island, where signs promote mansions for sale, and the Airbnb logo is plastered on homes where locals once lived. Intensifying Puerto Rico's gentrification are laws that encourage primarily wealthy mainland Americans to move there in exchange for preferential tax treatment. The program originally enacted in 2012 was meant to spur economic growth and attract investment on the island, an unincorporated territory under US control since 1898. Those relocating must acquire residency and buy property to keep the significant incentives -- but many Puerto Ricans as well as some US lawmakers say this is driving up housing prices and encouraging tax evasion. "Colonialism kills us, it suffocates us," Cuevas said. "It's a global theme. It's a class war." - 'Unfair' - Ricki Rebeiro, 30, moved to San Juan more than a year ago, bringing his packaging and marketing business that services cannabis companies with him. He told AFP that basing his work in Puerto Rico saves his company millions of dollars annually, and that he pays zero personal income tax -- what amounts to the equivalent of "a whole second income" that he says he tries to reinvest locally. "I believe that the locals are probably upset that they're not reaping the same benefits of somebody like me," said the entrepreneur, whose family is based in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. The system is "unfair," Rebeiro said, "but I also don't believe that I should be the one to blame for that. I didn't structure the program." Puerto Ricans in recent years have slammed their government for what they say is a hyperfocus on outsiders at the expense of locals, as the rich -- including people like the famous content creator-turned-boxer Jake Paul -- move in. - 'This is ours' - In Cabo Rojo, a seaside city about an hour's drive south of Rincon on the island's western coast, some residents are taking the matter into their own hands. During a recent canvassing effort, a group of activists urged their neighbors to protest a massive development project called Esencia, which would transform more than 2,000 acres (810 hectares) of recreational land and more than three miles of beaches into a $2 billion luxury resort and residential development. Dafne Javier's family goes back generations in this area -- her great-grandfather was the last mayor in the municipality under Spanish occupation, and the first under US rule. The 77-year-old said the Esencia project would "totally change the landscape," creating a gated town within a town. Protesters say it would destroy the natural habitat of some endangered species, while exacerbating problems with potable water, electricity supply and trash pick-up. Project investors have called Puerto Rico "one of the most promising growth markets in the world" and vowed Esencia would create "thousands of jobs." But those jobs will be minimum wage, Javier predicted, and the wealthy newcomers "won't mix with us." Christopher Powers is married to a Puerto Rican with whom he has children, and has lived in Cabo Rojo for 20 years. "They have no idea what they're destroying, and if they do have an idea what they're destroying, then they should be ashamed," he told AFP of the developers. "Not only is it ecologically destructive, not only will it be an economic disaster for those of us who live here, but it's also against the sort of spirit or values of the Caborojinos." Cuevas is hopeful her story and others like it will crystallize for her fellow Puerto Ricans what they stand to lose. "We have to keep fighting. We have to educate our youth. Have you heard of Bad Bunny?" she said, referring to the Puerto Rican global superstar whose music and current residency in San Juan has amplified discussion of gentrification and cultural dilution, on the island and beyond. "This is ours," Cuevas said. "We're not going to leave." mdo/sst
France 24
21-07-2025
- Business
- France 24
'Class war': outsiders moving to Puerto Rico trigger displacement
Cuevas left her home -- now purple and split in two -- and her beloved city for another further south, forced out by the rising cost of living and an explosion of short-term rentals on the US Caribbean island territory. Puerto Rico -- long a draw for sun-worshipping tourists -- is also a hotspot for foreign investment and offers tax incentives to attract outsiders. "At first, I couldn't come back here," Cuevas, 68, told AFP, gazing at the home she once made her own. "It made me feel sad and angry at the same time." Cuevas's experience is becoming an all too familiar tale across the island, where signs promote mansions for sale, and the Airbnb logo is plastered on homes where locals once lived. Intensifying Puerto Rico's gentrification are laws that encourage primarily wealthy mainland Americans to move there in exchange for preferential tax treatment. The program originally enacted in 2012 was meant to spur economic growth and attract investment on the island, an unincorporated territory under US control since 1898. Those relocating must acquire residency and buy property to keep the significant incentives -- but many Puerto Ricans as well as some US lawmakers say this is driving up housing prices and encouraging tax evasion. "Colonialism kills us, it suffocates us," Cuevas said. "It's a global theme. It's a class war." 'Unfair' Ricki Rebeiro, 30, moved to San Juan more than a year ago, bringing his packaging and marketing business that services cannabis companies with him. He told AFP that basing his work in Puerto Rico saves his company millions of dollars annually, and that he pays zero personal income tax -- what amounts to the equivalent of "a whole second income" that he says he tries to reinvest locally. "I believe that the locals are probably upset that they're not reaping the same benefits of somebody like me," said the entrepreneur, whose family is based in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. The system is "unfair," Rebeiro said, "but I also don't believe that I should be the one to blame for that. I didn't structure the program." Puerto Ricans in recent years have slammed their government for what they say is a hyperfocus on outsiders at the expense of locals, as the rich -- including people like the famous content creator-turned-boxer Jake Paul -- move in. 'This is ours' In Cabo Rojo, a seaside city about an hour's drive south of Rincon on the island's western coast, some residents are taking the matter into their own hands. During a recent canvassing effort, a group of activists urged their neighbors to protest a massive development project called Esencia, which would transform more than 2,000 acres (810 hectares) of recreational land and more than three miles of beaches into a $2 billion luxury resort and residential development. Dafne Javier's family goes back generations in this area -- her great-grandfather was the last mayor in the municipality under Spanish occupation, and the first under US rule. The 77-year-old said the Esencia project would "totally change the landscape," creating a gated town within a town. Protesters say it would destroy the natural habitat of some endangered species, while exacerbating problems with potable water, electricity supply and trash pick-up. Project investors have called Puerto Rico "one of the most promising growth markets in the world" and vowed Esencia would create "thousands of jobs." But those jobs will be minimum wage, Javier predicted, and the wealthy newcomers "won't mix with us." Christopher Powers is married to a Puerto Rican with whom he has children, and has lived in Cabo Rojo for 20 years. "They have no idea what they're destroying, and if they do have an idea what they're destroying, then they should be ashamed," he told AFP of the developers. "Not only is it ecologically destructive, not only will it be an economic disaster for those of us who live here, but it's also against the sort of spirit or values of the Caborojinos." Cuevas is hopeful her story and others like it will crystallize for her fellow Puerto Ricans what they stand to lose. "We have to keep fighting. We have to educate our youth. Have you heard of Bad Bunny?" she said, referring to the Puerto Rican global superstar whose music and current residency in San Juan has amplified discussion of gentrification and cultural dilution, on the island and beyond. "This is ours," Cuevas said. "We're not going to leave." © 2025 AFP
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
'Class war': outsiders moving to Puerto Rico trigger displacement
Gloria Cuevas thought she would live forever in her pink, century-old house on Puerto Rico's west coast -- but then her landlord decided to transform the home into an Airbnb. Cuevas left her home -- now purple and split in two -- and her beloved city for another further south, forced out by the rising cost of living and an explosion of short-term rentals on the US Caribbean island territory. Puerto Rico -- long a draw for sun-worshipping tourists -- is also a hotspot for foreign investment and offers tax incentives to attract outsiders. "At first, I couldn't come back here," Cuevas, 68, told AFP, gazing at the home she once made her own. "It made me feel sad and angry at the same time." Cuevas's experience is becoming an all too familiar tale across the island, where signs promote mansions for sale, and the Airbnb logo is plastered on homes where locals once lived. Intensifying Puerto Rico's gentrification are laws that encourage primarily wealthy mainland Americans to move there in exchange for preferential tax treatment. The program originally enacted in 2012 was meant to spur economic growth and attract investment on the island, an unincorporated territory under US control since 1898. Those relocating must acquire residency and buy property to keep the significant incentives -- but many Puerto Ricans as well as some US lawmakers say this is driving up housing prices and encouraging tax evasion. "Colonialism kills us, it suffocates us," Cuevas said. "It's a global theme. It's a class war." - 'Unfair' - Ricki Rebeiro, 30, moved to San Juan more than a year ago, bringing his packaging and marketing business that services cannabis companies with him. He told AFP that basing his work in Puerto Rico saves his company millions of dollars annually, and that he pays zero personal income tax -- what amounts to the equivalent of "a whole second income" that he says he tries to reinvest locally. "I believe that the locals are probably upset that they're not reaping the same benefits of somebody like me," said the entrepreneur, whose family is based in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. The system is "unfair," Rebeiro said, "but I also don't believe that I should be the one to blame for that. I didn't structure the program." Puerto Ricans in recent years have slammed their government for what they say is a hyperfocus on outsiders at the expense of locals, as the rich -- including people like the famous content creator-turned-boxer Jake Paul -- move in. - 'This is ours' - In Cabo Rojo, a seaside city about an hour's drive south of Rincon on the island's western coast, some residents are taking the matter into their own hands. During a recent canvassing effort, a group of activists urged their neighbors to protest a massive development project called Esencia, which would transform more than 2,000 acres (810 hectares) of recreational land and more than three miles of beaches into a $2 billion luxury resort and residential development. Dafne Javier's family goes back generations in this area -- her great-grandfather was the last mayor in the municipality under Spanish occupation, and the first under US rule. The 77-year-old said the Esencia project would "totally change the landscape," creating a gated town within a town. Protesters say it would destroy the natural habitat of some endangered species, while exacerbating problems with potable water, electricity supply and trash pick-up. Project investors have called Puerto Rico "one of the most promising growth markets in the world" and vowed Esencia would create "thousands of jobs." But those jobs will be minimum wage, Javier predicted, and the wealthy newcomers "won't mix with us." Christopher Powers is married to a Puerto Rican with whom he has children, and has lived in Cabo Rojo for 20 years. "They have no idea what they're destroying, and if they do have an idea what they're destroying, then they should be ashamed," he told AFP of the developers. "Not only is it ecologically destructive, not only will it be an economic disaster for those of us who live here, but it's also against the sort of spirit or values of the Caborojinos." Cuevas is hopeful her story and others like it will crystallize for her fellow Puerto Ricans what they stand to lose. "We have to keep fighting. We have to educate our youth. Have you heard of Bad Bunny?" she said, referring to the Puerto Rican global superstar whose music and current residency in San Juan has amplified discussion of gentrification and cultural dilution, on the island and beyond. "This is ours," Cuevas said. "We're not going to leave."
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Applications for Mission Beach whole home short-term rental licenses to reopen
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — For the first time in nearly three years, San Diego is reopening the application process for short-term vacation rental licenses in one of its most popular beach communities. Starting Tuesday, July 1 at 10 a.m., the City of San Diego will begin accepting Tier 4 Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) license applications for whole-home rentals in Mission Beach. These licenses apply to properties rented out more than 20 days per year in the Mission Beach Community Planning Area. This marks the first opportunity to apply since the city paused Tier 4 applications in November 2022, after quickly reaching capacity during the last application window. Since then, the city has only been processing applicants from a waitlist. The Tier 4 license reopening comes under the framework of the city's STRO Ordinance, adopted by the San Diego City Council and approved by the California Coastal Commission. The rules regulate short-term rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days, aiming to strike a balance between vacation rentals and long-term housing availability. Cal Fire awards $5.9M in forest health research grants to tackle wildfires 'As a result of this ordinance, we have seen more housing return to the market for San Diego residents, while also providing options for visitors who want to stay in one of San Diego's many vibrant and diverse neighborhoods,' said District 2 Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, whose district includes the beach community. 'Especially in popular areas like Mission Beach, these regulations have protected the neighborhood quality of life, and I am grateful to all the hosts who have adapted to follow this new model for their rentals.' To be eligible, applicants must: Hold an active Transient Occupancy Tax certificate. Be current on all Rental Unit Business Taxes. The application period will remain open for 45 days, ending Aug. 15, 2025. Once closed, the city will conduct a random lottery to determine the processing order and assign waitlist positions, as required by the San Diego's Municipal Code. As explained by the city, existing license holders in lower tiers can apply to be considered for a Tier 4 license. If approved, they'll be required to cancel their current license. San Diego officials confirmed that this reopening does not impact the availability or application process for Tier 1–3 licenses. More information about all license tiers is available online. 'I am committed to continuing to foster a positive and respectful relationship between San Diego residents and visitors as we enter this next phase of licensing,' Campbell continued. For San Diegans and visitors alike, the renewed availability of these licenses could mean more vacation options along the coast — while the city maintains its goal of preserving housing for residents and protecting neighborhood character. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
