Owners of short-term rentals seek help with expenses

All along the coastline, communities are wrestling with what to do about the short-term rentals that are popping up in neighborhoods never meant to house vacationers. A convergence of factors has spawned the trend. Skyrocketing property taxes and insurance have combined with the easy advertising on the Internet to make it a lucrative option for owners of second homes or investment properties. And fewer low-cost, near-beach hotels have made it far more appealing for renters. At the heart of the debate, like so many in Florida, is property rights, the real estate market and the increasing cost of owning a piece of paradise. Runups in property values have led to higher taxes. Active hurricane seasons have multiplied insurance costs. The upshot: Many investment owners and snowbirds are stuck with an asset they can't unload or afford, notes Grant Thrall, who teaches business geography at the University of Florida.

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