The anonymous writer of “Proposed Fines for Short-term Rentals are Overzealous,” [July 15, Xpress] has the nerve to attempt to clothe a practice which violates city regulations in socially acceptable dress by calling short-term rentals part of the “sharing economy.”
There’s nothing “sharing” about short-term rentals. They’re commercial transactions, pure and simple. They threaten to commercialize and disrupt residential neighborhoods which, for most of us, represent the largest investments we will ever be make.
It is not the city that is spreading fear, but the threat of predatory commercialization of residential neighborhoods with vacation rentals owned by nonresident property landlords that middle-class homeowners fear.
Shame on the editors of Mountain Xpress for publishing such a misleading letter anonymously! While your cartoon in the July 15 issue lampoons the Sovereign Oaks development, you lend tacit support to threats to established, middle-class, urban neighborhoods. People who have a legitimate position to air sign their letters the editor!
— Michael N. Lewis
Asheville
this seems alarmist
this seems accurate
When I lived at a development near Fairview there was a limit on the number of rentals in the ‘hood. One bunch of renters that came in would play their electric piano through a Fender Mustang amp and blow the building apart with sound waves. Their kids climbed trees and fell and wanted to sue everyone because they did not think gravity was the problem. The guy I bought my unit from (a former Democrat now turned Republican) had been using the unit as a hotel for his buddies…contrary to bylaws of the ‘hood). When I moved out the buyer put renters in there that inhaled dozens of ciggys every day which stunk up the building with their nicotine plumes. So, long or short term, my view is that renters don’t seem to give a fig about the health of the ‘hood. The only solution is Halloween eggs!!