Wait a minute... there are legal vacation rentals and there are illegal vacation rentals. No one is proposing to shut-down the legal vacation rentals, but the Expedia "paid" report lumps in both legal and illegal rentals to make their numbers look bigger. Why does the Star Advertiser fall for these self-interest industry reports that are really just propaganda pieces?

Illegal vacation rentals in "residential-zoning" are illegal for a reason. These businesses take housing away from residents and they change the residential character of our neighborhoods. Neighbors want neighbors living in their neighborhood, not a revolving door of strangers every week. Short-term tenants have little interest in public agencies or in the welfare of the citizenry.  They do not participate in local government, coach paddling, or join the hospital guild.  Literally they are here today and gone tomorrow--without engaging in the sort of activities that weld and strengthen a community.