JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. \u2014 Living in Jacksonville Beach isn\u2019t cheap, and beach locals say it\u2019s only getting costlier, with home values continuing to rise. <\/p>\n
Beach locals told Action News Jax Sunday that one culprit they believe is playing a major part: short-term vacation rentals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve absolutely seen them drive the cost up,\u201d said Jacksonville Beach local Erin Alban. \u201cOur house has more than doubled [in value] since we\u2019ve lived in this area, and we just moved here in 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Alban is one of several Jacksonville Beach neighbors who told Action News Jax they\u2019ve seen home values soar and believe short-term vacation rentals are to blame.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of that is just an overall rise in house pricing, but it\u2019s definitely a lot worse out here at the beach,\u201d Alban said.<\/p>\n A study by the Harvard Business Review<\/b><\/a> found there is, in fact, a relationship between the number of short-term rental properties in a city and its rental prices. <\/p>\n [DOWNLOAD: <\/b>Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks<\/b><\/a>]<\/b><\/p>\n The analysis claims that \u201cBecause of Airbnb, absentee landlords are moving their properties out of the long-term rental and for-sale markets and into the short-term rental market.\u201d<\/p>\n The Airbnb website shows<\/b><\/a> 210 properties in Jacksonville Beach for short-term rental, compared to 307 properties for sale according to Zillow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a cluster of them. There\u2019s one right behind this house. There is one down here. There is one across the street from over there,\u201d Alban pointed out. \u201cI have nephews who are getting ready to go off to college and are having a hard time affording even rental properties in areas around here.\u201d<\/p>\n While Jacksonville Beach does have local ordinances<\/b><\/a> maintaining safety and sanitation standards, they\u2019re prevented from banning or regulating vacation rental stay length because of state law<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n Alban said Sunday she\u2019d like to see more regulations placed statewide on Airbnbs and short-term rentals like it, which she says ultimately would be a move putting locals first.<\/p>\n