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Short-term rental owners gather for "Good Neighbor Summit"

It’s a proactive step in an attempt to fix problems short-term rental owners acknowledge are hurting their business.

DENVER — It’s a proactive step in an attempt to fix problems short-term rental owners acknowledge are hurting their business. From loud parties to large groups staying in small houses, short-term rental property owners want to change what’s wrong in their industry before the government adds more regulations. 

On Saturday, more than 100 property owners who list their homes on websites like Airbnb and VRBO gathered to talk that out.

"If we didn’t do something, we would lose all of our abilities to practice short-term rentals," said Dana Lubner with Effortless Rental Group, one of the organizers of the event. "The city is looking to tighten and redefine what primary residence means. The people that are hosts want to make sure they are able to continue short-term renting."

RELATED | Denver couple accused of illegally running short-term rental business through airbnb

Some short-term rental properties around town have caused quite the headache for people who live nearby. We've covered them on 9NEWS before. That brings us to this story.  

"This event is about helping hosts not cause issues in their neighborhoods. To be good neighbors," said David Pardo, a property manager and a member of the Denver Short-Term Rental Advisory Committee. "This is about teaching people how to not cause problems that have gotten short-term rentals in the news all over the country in a negative light."

The meeting included more than 100 short-term rental hosts gathered in an attempt to save their industry for what they call the bad actors who give them a bad name. 

The main requirement for someone to rent a home out as a short-term rental in Denver is that it must be their primary residence. But the city is considering making some changes. 

"They want to restate what it means to be a primary resident," said Gretchen Blaz, owner of Denver Super Hosts. "Make better hosts make better guests, make better neighbors."

It’s still unclear how or if the city will change its policies on short-term rentals or how they define primary residences.

There have been several cases of people arrested in Denver for renting out homes that aren’t their primary residence. That’s a felony.

"What gets people in trouble with the city is not being a primary resident when they say they are," said Pardo. "What gets people in trouble with their neighbors, on the other hand, is a party, parking, trash, nuisance." 

Saturday's Good Neighbor Summit is the first of its kind in Denver. Organizers say they want to hold more in the future. 

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