Short Term rentals hit close to home for us.

We are writing to share our input in regards to short term rentals here in Lafayette which hits very close to home for us!

We are both Colorado natives and Self-Employed. When we married in 2004 we rented a tiny home in old town Louisville. After years of working and saving we were so excited when we were finally able to purchase our first home in Lafayette in 2013. It was a short sale and we put all our hearts into fixing up the home that was sadly neglected and miss treated. It is beautiful now!

As a way of hoping to help cover our mortgage while we traveled for work, we experimented by listing our home on Airbnb in 2019. To our surprise, people booked it! And kept booking it! We spent most of that year in our parent’s basement apartment, driving back-and-forth to turnover between guests and care for the gardens.

That fall, our neighbor told us he was planning to sell. He had been long-term renting his house and we had a terrible situation occur with the tenants. One tenant is still in jail for the drugs and abuse that was happening right next to us. It was heartbreaking and very traumatic for us, to the point that we nearly moved away. Because it was so important to us who our neighbors were, we actually asked to rent the house before he sold it so we could fill it with new good vibes and be close to our own home while it was booked with (Airbnb Guest). Many guests started asking to extend their stay because they loved the area and wanted to visit longer with their families, etc. Long story short, we were able to miraculously purchase the home next-door! Now we have one primary home and one short term rental home. We love living so close to the home that we Airbnb so we can meet our guests, make sure they have everything they need, take care of both our homes, and stake in close relationship with our neighbors and family here. As entrepreneurs, we were hit hard by Covid. Airbnb allowed and made it possible for us to stay financially afloat, continue investing in our community, and stay close to our families. We have been able to hire many local people for cleaning, home improvements, and send our guests to local restaurants and shops. We are asked every day by people about our experience with (Airbnb) and for advice sorry we are starting a podcast about how to do Airbnb and an ethical community oriented eco-conscious way.

We have discovered there is a huge need for Airbnb in our community. We have now had many guests coming to stay in our neighborhood. They all want to be in a family friendly neighborhood with their pets. Some come because their children are having babies, to visit their family, to visit parents that aren’t doing well, they are looking for a job in the area. We have hosted many Airbnb guests who are also hosts! And Now we have the honor of providing sanctuary for many displaced families in our community after the fires. Short term rental furnished homes for families with children and pets are now desperately needed by people and in our own community.

Our policies are consistent with our city ordinances and policies and we are right here to make sure they are followed. We have never had rowdy guests or frat parties. We have never had a noise or parking complaint. all of our neighbors have our phone numbers in case something comes up or doesn’t feel right. Instead of complaints we have received thank you‘s for making our homes beautiful which is improving the property values and appearance of our neighborhood and appreciation for our Airbnb guests who have helped with jump starting our neighbors cars, helped to dig cars out of snowbanks or lending a cup of milk for baking. Our Airbnb guests have been wonderful neighbors to our neighbors and vice versa!