HomeMy WebLinkAboutNews Release - Mail Packet - 9/29/2015 - Article From Darin Atteberry Titled Local View: Duluth Should End Moratorium On Vacation Housing Option (From The Duluth News Tribune, September 17, 2015)Local View: Duluth should end
moratorium on vacation housing
option
By Tim McDevitt on Sep 17, 2015 at 10:03 p.m.
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The one-year moratorium on new temporary rentals, instituted by Duluth’s City
Council, should be properly put into context (“Duluth puts vacation rental permits on
hold,” June 16).
Several friends and I decided to follow the University of Minnesota’s football team to
Colorado last week, where the Gophers won a thrilling overtime game against
Colorado State in Fort Collins. We purposely decided to book our stays in Denver and
Fort Collins through the Airbnb website so we could compare our stays with other
Gophers fans who stayed in hotels.
Our first three days were spent in Denver. My host, Greta, provided me with a guest
bedroom and full access to the common areas of her clean, conveniently located
apartment. She had a lock box on her door and emailed me the code and the house
rules. We did not have to physically meet when I arrived. Our schedules were
completely opposite, and we never actually saw each other during my three-night stay.
We were in contact via text and phone; but other than my taking her suggestions on
local dining options, we did not see each other.
My two friends stayed elsewhere and were equally satisfied with their
accommodations. We paid $60-$65 per night, compared to $95-$125 per night for
motels and hotels in the area. The comfort of sleeping on a real bed with clean sheets
and comfy pillows meant I slept restfully, something I rarely have experienced at
hotel chains.
We drove up to Fort Collins on Friday and stayed with two different Airbnb hosts
through Sunday morning. My hosts, Keefe, his wife and their friendly pooch, Gjinko,
September 24, 2015
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Darin Atteberry
FYI /sek
were great. Again, arrangements were made via email to retrieve the house keys
without us having to physically meet. The finished basement area where my private
bedroom was located included a full bath, a mini-fridge, and a microwave. I sat
outside and played catch with Gjinko before heading off to the Gophers’ team hotel to
attend a pre-game fan rally.
Conversations with other Minnesotans indicated they were paying $200-$300 per
night at local hotels. My friends and I paid $68 per night through Airbnb and
thoroughly enjoyed our separate but similar experiences in private housing.
The Airbnb website had hundreds of listing options to choose from in each city and no
local limitations on choices.
The hosts I have had the opportunity to chat with consider their temporary renters as
guests in their homes, and they treat them accordingly. The fact that their “guests” are
helping to pay the mortgage or rent for that month provides a financial incentive to
see that their guests have an enjoyable visit.
Duluth’s moratorium on this type of vacation housing option is a restraint of trade that
is hurting both visitors and residents. End the moratorium now.
Tim McDevitt of St. Paul is a Duluth native, a lifelong Minnesota Gophers football
fan and supporter, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/local-view/3841727-local-view-duluth-should-end-
moratorium-vacation-housing-option