Regarding Chelsea Diana’s article “Jump in person-to-person vacation rentals in Portland area causes a stir” (July 21):

Diana neglected to mention that regulation and oversight of vacation rentals also protect neighboring homeowners and the larger community.

If you want to make money using your home (or a house that you own) for short-term rentals, registering for a permit with the city and paying the requisite taxes is not just about leveling the playing field with other lodging houses and B&Bs.

Registering for a permit requires that neighbors be informed of the “change of use” of neighboring properties. The process gives them the opportunity to try to fight the permit or to try to sell their property – if they fear declining property values because of the impact of short-term vacation rentals on the neighborhood.

Paying the requisite lodging taxes on your rental home property is part of how you protect the property, the neighbors and the neighborhood.

Those taxes pay for street cleaning, trash pickup, snow removal and road maintenance, not to mention maintaining local parks and supporting museums, as well as fire and safety protection – all of which your renters are using and should be paying for.

So when you are writing the advertisement for your VRBO or Airbnb vacation rental, remember why the home and neighborhood that you are marketing are so fantastic and show your respect and appreciation by complying with all local laws and regulations.

Kelley McDaniel

Portland