VRMA Administrator
Short-term rental owners on Marco Island, Florida, are providing temporary housing for displaced residents from Isles of Capri in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Keep Marco Free movement, which has opposed the short-term rental registration referendum that passed on the primary ballot in August, has thus far helped seven displaced Isles of Capri families by housing them in rentals for free. Residents like Fiona Winter also are sheltering workers that would otherwise have to travel from the east coast to perform maintenance on the island on a daily basis. Rental owners are hoping this act of charity will close the rift created by the proposed registration ordinance. "If you get rid of short-term rentals on Marco Island, I think it will be extremely detrimental," Winter said. "The short-term rentals are a major part of our economy and I'm hoping that the people that are extreme on the 'Yes' side [of the ordinance] will realize how much the economy does depend on these houses, and these people on Marco Island. I'm hoping that the animosity will die down and we can all come together amicably and sort something out that's workable."
WINK News (10/07/22) Samantha Roesler
