It's been a great weekend for Airbnb, which for Jazz Fest is seeing record bookings in New Orleans as traditional B&Bs report vacancies. But some locals want to remind their temporary neighbors of the tension and anger over short-term rentals that's hit a fever pitch in New Orleans.
A sign was spotted in Bywater and posted on Instagram that blames Airbnb users for "displacing the last remaining long-term residents that are survivors of the largest disaster that's ever happened in America" (the sign was also seen in Marigny over the weekend).
The pro-Airbnb group Alliance for Neighborhood Prosperity fired back with a Facebook post, including an anecdote from a member, an "old blood German/French Creole with roots in New Orleans," who has not been a resident of the city since the storm and because of his Airbnb rental "will finally be able to return home."
Do you think this sign is harsh, and too focused on tourists and not the landlords using the service, or is this a needed reminder to tourists of how their charming Jazz Fest rentals affect residents?
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