Survey: Most Arkansas Voters Concerned about Negative Short-Term Rental Impact
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Franklin Coley; [email protected]
Survey: Most AR Voters Concerned about Negative Short-Term Rental Impact
Arkansas legislature considering bill that would cause rentals to spread
Little Rock, Ark. (March 28, 2023) – A majority of Arkansas residents are concerned about the negative impact of short-term rentals in their communities, according to a new survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Alliance for Stronger Communities.
The survey results come as Arkansas state legislators are considering SB 197, a bill that would ban almost all local oversight of short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, and lead to the spread of short-term rental units in neighborhoods throughout the state.
A majority of Arkansas voters – 72% – believe it is important for local officials to actively monitor short-term rental properties to deter criminal activity in residential areas. 65% of Arkansas voters also agree that the presence of commercial short-term rental properties in residential communities raises concerns about neighborhood safety.
A majority of voters – 70% – think that active oversight is important to ensure short-term rental owners and companies pay their fair share of taxes. 70% of voters also agree that lawmakers should prioritize the interests of homeowners and renters in residential areas above those of out-of-state commercial short-term rental investors.
“Arkansas voters are very concerned about the dangers unregulated short-term rentals pose to their neighborhoods,” said Alliance for Stronger Communities President Franklin Coley. “What’s worse, the Arkansas legislature is considering a bill that would make it harder for local leaders to prevent the wild parties, crime, and violence unregulated short-term rentals can attract. Stripping local leaders of the ability to protect against these dangers will cause families, children and seniors to suffer. Local Arkansas leaders deserve the ability to keep their neighborhoods safe through local oversight of short-term rentals.”
How Short-Term Rentals Are Impacting Arkansas Public Safety
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Additional findings from the survey include:
- 65% of voters agree that residential areas should be inhabited by people who intend to live there for more than a few days. 54% agree that the presence of short-term rental properties in residential communities can lower the value of surrounding properties.
- 62% of voters say they would be concerned about noise disturbances if one of their neighbors were to operate a short-term rental.
- 52% of Arkansas voters agree that the presence of short-term rental properties in residential communities is harmful to a neighborhood’s sense of community.
- 50% agree that the presence of short-term rental properties in residential communities would deter them from buying or renting in a certain neighborhood.
Morning Consult Survey Methodology: This poll was conducted between March 11-20, 2023, among a sample of 501 registered voters from Arkansas. Interviews were conducted online and weighted to approximate a sample of Arkansas RVs based on age, gender, education, and 2020 presidential vote choice. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
About Alliance for Stronger Communities
Alliance for Stronger Communities is a coalition of neighbors – including child safety advocates, former law enforcement officials, parenting voices and bloggers, civic leaders, housing experts, homeowner association presidents and academics – coming together to form a collective voice to address issues impacting neighborhoods across the country.
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