Hoover short-term rental owners upset with ‘Airbnb ordinance’

HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) - A couple of weeks ago, Hoover city leaders announced a new ordinance could go in effect for Airbnb’s operating within the city.

Some of the short-term rental owners we spoke with are upset, many of them saying this ordinance not only negatively affects them but also the city’s revenue.

Angela Brothers, a short-term rental owner, said she was surprised the city of Hoover would want to do something like this.

Brothers has been a short-term rental owner for about 7 months in the Hoover area.

“I say come on over to the city of Hoover, we have a beautiful city, and we have lots of wonderful restaurants to use and parks and just different things to go to and it brings revenue here,” Brothers said.

Brothers said she is aware that some Airbnb’s are being used inappropriately like for parties, but she says her home has never been used in that way.

“Like in everything, there are bad apples so just like you wouldn’t want someone in your neighborhood to throw a loud party and if they did and it was disturbing you would call the police and the police would come and they would shut that down,” Brothers said. “Same thing should happen if there is a neighborhood with an Airbnb.”

Brothers isn’t the only short-term rental in Hoover that has an issue with the ordinance. Dale Callahan said to him, it feels like a government overreach.

“They are just coming out here and setting up policies,” Callahan said. “They have never contacted us and say hey we’ve got issues and any of the other owners I’ve talked to, same thing.”

If the ordinance is passed, short term rentals would only be allowed to operate in apartments, condos and commercial areas.

The city will vote on the ordinance Monday.

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