Changes are coming to Quintana Roo regarding the rental of real estate spaces through platforms.
Rentals through houses, apartments, studios, and even rooms via digital platforms like Airbnb should be regulated through laws that make them pay the same taxes as hotels, as it already harms the population, said Fernando Heredia Molina, president of the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals (AMPI) in Cozumel.
“Airbnb should be regulated because it is unfair competition to hotels, as they do not contribute the same, neither in promotional taxes, but they do harm locals through gentrification, as they can no longer afford the rents, and everyone wants to rent to tourists because it brings in more income,” he commented.
The generation of more income for property owners and the low maintenance for their properties are part of this new interest in higher economic production, without the need to pay taxes like property tax at the residential level and not commercial as it should be, or to generate commercial and fiscal contributions like hotels or condominium spaces.
Heredia Molina said that it is time for legislators to establish new rules and enforce compliance with all taxes and fiscal obligations, as they do not even generate jobs, contrary to what happens with hotels or condominium and apartment buildings.
Additionally, rents have risen excessively, to the point of asking for 20,000 to 30,000 pesos for a house that used to cost between 8,000 and 10,000 pesos per month, making it impossible for Cozumel residents or any island inhabitant to pay such amounts, a clear example of gentrification that must be addressed as soon as possible.
“Authorities must pay attention to this issue and regulate the existence of these rental spaces to pay what is due and thus have more resources. That is, they are not prevented from continuing to rent, but at least they pay what is appropriate, and things gradually adjust to offer rental spaces to the community,” he explained.
Meanwhile, rental spaces through digital platforms, such as Airbnb, Booking, Facebook, and other sites where these places are offered for rent, continue to grow, thus reducing the possibility of rentals for locals.
Source: El Heraldo de Mexico
