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BiggerLa Romana–Bayahíbe Hotel Association calls for regulation of short-term rentals
The La Romana–Bayahíbe Hotel Association (AHRB) emphasized the need for a clear and updated regulatory framework for short-term rentals, including those operated through digital platforms.
AHRB president Andrés Fernández stated that real estate development and the diversification of lodging options are legitimate and part of the destination’s growth, as long as they operate within the law. He stressed that the goal should not be to prohibit these activities, but to regulate them under common standards that protect visitors, residents, and the destination’s reputation.
The association noted that all units used for tourist accommodation should be formally registered and meet basic requirements related to safety, coexistence, traceability, and legal obligations, under a proportional and reasonable system. Fernández added that clear rules benefit the hotel sector, property owners, and the destination as a whole.
The AHRB’s position aligns with that of Asonahores, which has also called for the regulation of short-term rental properties, particularly those marketed through platforms such as Airbnb, to ensure orderly and sustainable tourism development.
The hotels in aggregate have many thousands of rooms and it always seems they have animosity towards the small legions property owners wanting to rent out their properties short-term. The hotels have monopolies and they want to keep it that way. Regulation means unneeded burdens forced upon the property owners
It’s always the little guy…
Agree
The hotels don’t like and do not want competition. They prefer to keep holidaymakers in the “all-inclusive” format, where the hotel controls everything. It does not help the local economy, as they discourage venturing outside. Private rentals are better for local businesses, because clients spend money visiting local restaurants, bars, and shops.
I see that there is nothing about the owners. Only those coming to spend their money & the “reputation of the destination’ receiving the money. Really? What about the legitimate owners, that contribute to the economy, that open their properties taking chances on complete strangers for possible damage the properties they go to stay in? At a $125 a head for a tax (multiplied by how many per year & that’s only the cruises entering the ports. How much per person on a flight), to enter the country, on top what’s spent there, I guess it’s not the destination’s problem. Only the property owners in the destination. Someone is always left out of the equation.
Agree
Bloody cartels