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St. Augustine committee holds final meeting to discuss potential Airbnb regulations

Some maps show that rental homes, apartments and townhomes are being outnumbered by Airbnb properties.

On Wednesday, the final discussion was held to determine how to manage Airbnb rental homes in St. Augustine.

For weeks, the committee has talked about how to manage these vacation rental homes popping up across the city.

Some maps show that rental homes, apartments and townhomes are being outnumbered by Airbnb properties.

Tourists visit St. Augustine every day, but for some, the increase in Airbnb properties have caused problems for neighbors who live in St. Augustine permanently.

One of those residents is Sabina Eveleth. She’s a server who commutes 45 minutes for work.

“The prices are higher because everyone just comes for a weekend or a week, everything is higher if you’re paying monthly,” Eveleth said.

She would like to live closer to work. But the few options she has are out of her price range.

Since Airbnb grew, other short term rental options shrunk.

Pat Dobosz is on the short-term rental committee working to address the other issues they pose, such as the lack of regulation and disturbance to permanent residents in the area.

There are some restrictions they could recommend to the city.

“[The] maximum number of guest rooms, max number of guests, Dobosz said. "The number of bathrooms per bedroom, hopefully having a permitting and licensing requirement that would allow safety inspections.” 

Dobosz owns The Kenwood Inn. It is the oldest bed and breakfast in St. Augustine.

She feels that Airbnb homes should be regulated, just like her business.

“They’re operating as businesses and should be appropriately taxed, utilities commercially, insurance commercially just as a BNB is required to do by law,” Dobosz said.

St. Augustine workers like Eveleth feel there should be a balance of places to stay short term and long term.

“The employees need a place to live to provide the services for vacationers, so it’s hard for us to commute down here or pay super expensive rent to down here,” she said.

After Wednesday’s meeting, the committee will submit its recommendations to the city commission.

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