Airbnb ‘take over’ now driving up Atlanta homeowners’ costs — here’s why insurance may be their next headache
When you think about what it might mean to live next door to an Airbnb, you might imagine lots of noise, a constant stream of strangers coming and going, and general chaos. But one thing you may not anticipate is the cost of your HOA fees rising.
Residents of a downtown Atlanta condo building have been complaining about an influx of Airbnb renters since 2021.
"The weed, the smoking, the drugs," resident Nicky Buggs told Channel 2 Action News (WSB-TV) about her concerns.
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But, those are not the only issues. Since Airbnbs took over the building, residents say they have seen their homeowners association (HOA) fees and utility bills increase. And understandably, they're not happy about it.
The hidden cost of living among Airbnbs
Living among Airbnbs is as unpleasant for these Atlanta residents as you might assume.
“I see females running up and down the halls with no clothes on,” resident Zeda Stanley Sartor told Channel 2 Action News.
Since limited liability companies (LLCs) were reported to have turned a large number of units in the building into Airbnbs, there have been frequent parties and lots of noise.
But residents' frustrations go beyond that. Not only have their HOA fees increased, but they say the floors with Airbnbs are the ones being prioritized for upgrades, while non-Airbnb floors are being deprioritized. That's not surprising since, at this point, residents say Airbnb owners control the HOA board.
The HOA board told Channel 2 Action News that eventually, all floors in the building will get updated, acknowledging that renovations are sorely needed.
“We cannot do them all at once. It's a 21-floor building, can’t be done,” board member Marsha DeQuiors said.
But, condo owners aren't thrilled to suddenly see their HOA fees rising after staying the same since 2018. They're also not thrilled that since Airbnbs have moved in, their water bills have also risen — with leaks also becoming more of a problem.
"We even looked at like, OK let's just meter each unit and make everybody responsible for their own water, and the building's not designed for that," board member Jamey Waters told Channel 2 Action News.
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