JP Morrell: This administration thinks laws are suggestions…

Short-term rentals create quite a controversy once they move into a neighborhood, and the impact they have had on New Orleans's neighborhoods has been significant to say the least, especially the illegal ones that lack permitting and are outside of zoning restrictions.

The city won a court battle to restrict bad action by STRs, but now the administration says it's having a difficult time enforcing the rules.

Councilmember JP Morrell says that's probably because the city is letting bad actors get away with violations, making up their own rules, and acting as if they want to help the short-term rentals stick around.

“The STR office decided to go a different way from the laws we fought for. That way has been to provide opportunities for bad actors to skirt responsibility.”

Morrell says this is indicative of the administration’s penchant for sidestepping legality.

“They feel like the law is a suggestion.”

The councilman also acknowledges that the city could have ulterior motive to let the short-term rentals, even the illegal ones, get away with violations.

“There is some profit motive because the city collects a portion of hotel/motel tax collected by the platform.”

Morrell says he hates to see all the hard work and money it took to win the federal court battle go down the drain.

“We win in court. Get an enforcement law and we don’t take advantage of it. Essentially we have bureaucrats saying hold my beer…I know better.”