CARMEL, Ind. -- The City of Carmel has a message for homeowners who have been listing their homes for rent on the popular travel website Airbnb: No more.
The city's Division of Building and Code Services has been sending letters to residents who have their homes listed on the site, telling them that they are in violation of the city's zoning laws. Homeowners have 10 days to remove their home from listings or file for a zoning variance.
City officials said they've received complaints from residents, homeowners associations and local hotels about the number of homes listed on the travel site.
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Airbnb, which allows users to list their homes for rent or search for homes to rent in areas all over the world, currently has over 300 rentals listed in and around Carmel, Indiana.
"Although we share in the excitement and appreciation of the many new ways in which we can connect with each other globally and do business by using modern technology for travel and entertainment purposes, we must also be sensitive to the impact these new things are having on our community – including your neighbors and our local businesses,” the letter states.
“Businesses such as our local hotels must invest a lot of money to meet the requirements of their zoning and be able to legally operate as a hotel. Because of that, we don’t believe it is fair to our hotels to allow someone to operate a competing business when they are not held to that same higher standard of construction because of their zoning classification.”
The city said homes that are located in 'Residential Single Family" zoned areas can not be used or operated as businesses.
Homeowners were given 10 days to remove their home from 'any websites advertising such things' to avoid further action by a Code Enforcement Inspector, according to the notice.
Homeowners in violation were sent the following letter from the city:
