# New Orleans city permit to rent?



## jules54 (Jun 28, 2017)

I have been renting reservations on airbnb and vrbo since the fall of 2016. VRBO actually solicited me to rent my timeshare reservations. I thought VRBO only took full time ownership, but that has changed.
Here is the problem. In the spring I started to get notification from Airbnb that I had to get a permit from the city to rent my properties. Of course the forms are all for full time ownership properties. I contacted Airbnb and got no help. Airbnb did send me the link for the city government site. I email the man in charge and explained my situation of both properties being Wyndham Timeshares. With a few back and forth emails with him contacting legal. He told me I had to get some type of confirmation from Wyndham that I own contracts and have the right to rent my points.
Does anyone have any suggestions what department in Wyndham I would even call to figure this out?
I understand this is about revenue for New Orleans, but isn't Wyndham paying all the taxes on the resorts. BTW I do pay extra taxes through the rental site for sales tax.
Anyone else ran into this problem?

Thanks for any useful information or help.


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## nicemann (Jun 28, 2017)

jules54 said:


> I have been renting reservations on airbnb and vrbo since the fall of 2016. VRBO actually solicited me to rent my timeshare reservations. I thought VRBO only took full time ownership, but that has changed.
> Here is the problem. In the spring I started to get notification from Airbnb that I had to get a permit from the city to rent my properties. Of course the forms are all for full time ownership properties. I contacted Airbnb and got no help. Airbnb did send me the link for the city government site. I email the man in charge and explained my situation of both properties being Wyndham Timeshares. With a few back and forth emails with him contacting legal. He told me I had to get some type of confirmation from Wyndham that I own contracts and have the right to rent my points.
> Does anyone have any suggestions what department in Wyndham I would even call to figure this out?
> I understand this is about revenue for New Orleans, but isn't Wyndham paying all the taxes on the resorts. BTW I do pay extra taxes through the rental site for sales tax.
> ...



Ron would probably be your best resource.  I am sure he use to be the biggest renter at those properties in the past.


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## jules54 (Jun 28, 2017)

Yes I'm hoping Ron will read and respond. I'm familiar with the amount of rentals he does in New Orleans. I know lots of folks only use craigslist for there rentals, but there is so much more exposure with the marketing websites. Might not make a difference with the new screwed up website I can't seem to find any availability anyway lol.


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## taffy19 (Jun 28, 2017)

Maui or even all Hawaiian islands require these permits too from a timeshare owner now and then have to fill out these forms during tax time.  The paperwork alone may cost them more than what they are receiving.  Bureaucracy at work!  I can see it when you are in the rental business but not when you rent a week out sporadically.

I am positive that more counties will follow in other States too after one started it.


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## ronparise (Jun 28, 2017)

I knew New Orleans has some sort of permit program for rentals but I never learned the details, You know more than I do


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## spackler (Nov 13, 2017)

Yep, you need to get an annual permit now, even if you just own one interval & want to rent it out to one person.  I think it's $150.

Not entirely sure how a points system would work on their permit structure.

EDIT:  Actually, you'd need a permit PER INTERVAL as they're considered separate properties.


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## vacationhopeful (Nov 13, 2017)

Hope Extra Holidays gets some city government attention ....


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## ronparise (Nov 13, 2017)

I never used Airbnb or VRBO so I didn’t have to face their rules

I know New Orleans has a permit program but I never learned what was required. I simply assumed that Wyndham had such a permit for the building


If things are as spackler says and a $150 permit is required per interval I’d get just one and show that to Airbnb

Obviously if you have just one interval to rent it wouldn’t be cost effective. 

I’d do what I did and just use Craig’s list. That worked fine for the event weeks I concentrated on


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## VegasBella (Nov 13, 2017)

Here is the NOLA gov website with details about the laws and contact information for questions
https://www.nola.gov/short-term-rentals/


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## Avislo (Nov 13, 2017)

People renting timeshares though Wyndham Like programs may want to contact New Orleans via one of the methods on their site.  I am not sure it covers timeshares.


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## ronparise (Nov 13, 2017)

Extra holidays has a license at Avenue plaza


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## chapjim (Nov 13, 2017)

This should probably be in the Central States Timesharing forum.


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## Avislo (Nov 13, 2017)

Then some of us would not have seen it.


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## chapjim (Nov 13, 2017)

Avislo said:


> Then some of us would not have seen it.[/QUOTE
> 
> So, think of all the people who hang out in the Central States forum who won't see it because it is the Wyndham forum.  If people have no interest in any place in the Central States, it doesn't matter if they don't see it.


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## scootr5 (Nov 13, 2017)

spackler said:


> Yep, you need to get an annual permit now, even if you just own one interval & want to rent it out to one person.  I think it's $150.
> 
> Not entirely sure how a points system would work on their permit structure.
> 
> EDIT:  Actually, you'd need a permit PER INTERVAL as they're considered separate properties.



I just received my Fall newsletter and maintenance fee bill for Quarter House, and the specifically mention the permit in the newsletter. They state that it is for rentals on AirBnB, VRBO, etc (and make no mention of needing it if you are renting your week through them), and state that it is approximately $500.



chapjim said:


> This should probably be in the Central States Timesharing forum.



I'm sure it will be moved there in due course.


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## Saintsfanfl (Nov 15, 2017)

The bigger outfits are obviously required to comply. I am not so sure that private personal rentals are or at least not enforced. For example they don’t even charge tax to owner guests or owner renters. They don’t know which is which. They do charge tax on in-house rentals.


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## Railman83 (Nov 21, 2017)

Saintsfanfl said:


> The bigger outfits are obviously required to comply. I am not so sure that private personal rentals are or at least not enforced. For example they don’t even charge tax to owner guests or owner renters. They don’t know which is which. They do charge tax on in-house rentals.


Anyone figure this out for certain?


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## Saintsfanfl (Nov 21, 2017)

Railman83 said:


> Anyone figure this out for certain?



Technically everyone is likely supposed to comply, but does everyone want to and will they? This is similar to an individual person being required to submit sales tax to the State of Florida if they did not pay it to a seller. Nobody actually does it even though they are required to and Florida is not chasing down individuals for sales tax worth peanuts.

There is no way for an enforcer to know whether a guest is there free of charge or it was an arms length rental.

Hopefully there is an exception in there for one off rentals because the amount of the permit is ridiculous and borders on extortion. I won't be getting a permit and if I was forced to I would not rent out anything in New Orleans. I generally rent out a couple a year for no profit.


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## Saintsfanfl (Nov 21, 2017)

The language in the Quarter House newsletter indicates that self rentals and QH in-house rentals are not subject to the permit. Perhaps because it already operates as a hotel they are not subject to the permit.


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## spackler (Nov 21, 2017)

Saintsfanfl said:


> The language in the Quarter House newsletter indicates that self rentals and QH in-house rentals are not subject to the permit.



I called & verified that the in-house rentals aren't subject to the permit.  The lady specifically called out AirBnB rentals, however, as one area you need to be in compliance, as AirBnB shares info with the NOLA authorities.

The permit system makes sense, I guess, if you own a home/apartment for the express purpose of running a rental business, but needing a permit to rent out your interval to cover your MFs seems absurd.   I can't imagine NOLA looking at these instances as an enforcement priority.


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## Saintsfanfl (Nov 21, 2017)

spackler said:


> I called & verified that the in-house rentals aren't subject to the permit.  The lady specifically called out AirBnB rentals, however, as one area you need to be in compliance, as AirBnB shares info with the NOLA authorities.
> 
> The permit system makes sense, I guess, if you own a home/apartment for the express purpose of running a rental business, but needing a permit to rent out your interval to cover your MFs seems absurd.   I can't imagine NOLA looking at these instances as an enforcement priority.



I agree it is nuts. The smaller 1BR units only have a fee of $519 and that includes property tax. A $500 permit to rent out a room worth $500 doesn't even seem legal. Is the permit a one time fee or does it expire?


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