NEW ORLEANS – The City Council's Community Development Committee will hold a public meeting today, Wednesday, Dec. 17, at City Council Chambers, at 2:00 p.m., to address the issue of illegal short-term rentals in historic neighborhoods and throughout New Orleans.
Those opposed to short-term rentals say the real estate practice turns homes into hotels in areas including the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, Bywater, Treme, Mid-City, Carrollton, Uptown and Gentilly.
In addition to converting residential properties into commercial operations, they say short-term rentals replace residents, and voters, with transient visitors, disrupt neighborhoods and intrude on the lives of actual residents, skews housing prices, making areas less affordable and remove eyes and ears from the neighborhoods, which affects security.
Those who want to legalize widespread short term rental practices will be in attendance as well.
The City of New Orleans New Orleans does allow legal short term rentals and say those who want to rent out an apartment or room must apply for the correct permits, and, where applicable, pay the correct sales and hotel occupancy taxes.
A list of City approved short term rentals can be found here: www.nola.gov/short-term-rentals/
