A two-bedroom two-bath villa complete with a new gas-powered golf cart for only $99 per night? Sounds hard to beat.
Well, how about $84 per night for three bedrooms and two bathrooms ideal for housing up to six people? That gem, also with a golf cart, can be found in the Village of Fenney. It also boasts an air fryer, ninja coffee maker with a built-in milk frother.
Attractive offers like these advertised on rental services like airbnb are bringing more and more people to The Villages.
But homeowners here in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown are increasingly furious about the short-term rentals.
A group of residents unleashed their fury last week on the Community Development District 13 Board of Supervisors.
Residents, who live south of State Road 44 in the villages of Chitty Chatty, Bradford, Hawkins and St. Catherine, are waking up to the reality of more and more short-term rentals in their neighborhoods. They offered descriptions of young people staying at the properties, raucous parties, lack of concern about neighbors and noise.
One woman complained that a cheap rental in The Villages is preferable to those who don’t want to pay the high prices at Disney World.
Last year, residents of Creekside Landing were horrified after a man barricaded himself in a short-term rental unit, prompting a standoff with the SWAT team from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Neighbors were ordered to stay in their homes for hours.
District officials said the short-term rental contracts are not within the scope of the district’s governmental control.
What’s your opinion of the flourishing short-term rental market in The Villages? Share your thoughts at letters@villages-news.com
