Short-term rentals under discussion in condominiums The growth of short-term rentals through digital platforms has caused conflicts in Brazilian condominiums and fueled a dispute between residents, investors and the tourism sector. The practice changes the routine of buildings, raises discussions about the right to housing and took the issue to court. In a condominium in São Paulo, building manager Lígia Ramos reports on the impacts of the constant circulation of guests. In one of the episodes, a resident rented the party room to hold a wedding. "The guy rented the party room to have his wedding [...] He's not worried if someone didn't sleep, if they woke up. Tomorrow he'll wake up and leave here", says Ramos. According to her, the structure of the building helps attract short-term rentals. The condominium offers "a wonderful swimming pool, a first-world gym, central heating, with hot water, hotel type". At the same time, residents complain about increased movement and shared use of common areas. The swimming pool is an attraction factor for guests looking for vacation rentals. Fantastic Can the guest have access to everything? Among owners and hosts, there are different views on the limits of this model. Broker Lucidalva Santos states that there are rules for guests. "There are restrictions, they don't rent a party room, there are schedules for common areas to live in", he says. The app rental war: conflicts divide residents Fantastic Alessandra Peixoto, commercial coordinator, argues that renters can use the entire structure of the condominium. "I believe so, with rules. Following the rules stipulated by the host." For real estate lawyer Márcio Raskorsky, the truce only comes with specific rules. "You have people who bought a second property and want to make an income. They say: 'Why can't I do a short rental for accommodation?' And then the war is over, right?" Predatory tourism Residents protest against the high cost of living due to vacation rentals. Fantastic In Barcelona, residents protest against excessive tourism and associate the advancement of platforms with rising property prices. Activist Daniel Pardo states that "the majority of tourists relate to cities as an object of consumption" and says that the phenomenon makes it difficult to maintain "a community spirit". In the Spanish city, the big problem is the lack of housing rentals. There, owners can earn up to four times more with short-term rentals than with traditional contracts. With less supply, rent becomes more expensive. Constant noise from suitcases and conversations in the corridors disrupt the lives of residents. Fantastic In condominiums, conflicts arise even in everyday situations. Lígia Ramos mentions the noise of suitcases in the corridors. "The internal walls come with the proximity of the doors, the drywall partition. So, you hear absolutely everything." Another resident, Sidnalva dos Santos, reports the impact during a health treatment: "I was going through a disease process, pancreatic cancer, and at that moment I needed rest." In Justice The discussion reached the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). The court has already decided that it is up to condominiums to authorize or prohibit this type of rental. If there is not a 2/3 majority for approval, it will not be allowed. This week, the court suspended proceedings on the subject across the country to define a thesis that should guide future decisions. "It will then be up to the assembly of that condominium to decide whether or not to change the residential purpose to mixed, thus enabling this type of activity", explains Cássio Rodrigues, professor of Civil Law at UFRJ. Some buildings on the plant in Rio de Janeiro already make the position clear. "We already advise that it was defined here in the convention that short-term allocation is not allowed", points out Gustavo Magno, real estate development executive. And others boast the possibility of profiting from temporary rentals. "It's a response to a market trend for products that have this vocation", says broker Sandro Morais. Some real estate developments sell the promise of profit from platform rentals in off-plan apartments. Fantastic Airbnb and Booking.com, the two largest platforms, stated that they follow discussions on regulation. “Airbnb positions itself today as this actor that helps with the tourist absorption of cities”, says Carla Comarella, director of Public Policies at the platform. Airbnb also argues that the main problem is the shortage of new homes and that the platform helps millions to travel. Democracy in Copan Copan Building, in São Paulo, has hundreds of apartments for vacation rentals. Fantastic The Copan Building, in São Paulo, became one of the symbols of this transformation. If any change to a convention requires a vote of 2/3 of the owners, imagine bringing together the condominium owners of the largest building in Latin America? What if the vote of a single resident would be able to unbalance the final count? Businessman Judson Sales manages 103 of the building's 1,160 apartments intended for temporary rentals. A hotel with 100 rooms would be considered medium-sized. The sector association believes that the temporary rental service is unfair competition, as it does not pay the same taxes as hotels. "As I started at Copan renting my own house, when I wasn't traveling, obviously there was no way to have a structure like that. And things grew little by little", says Sales. Sales has already received more than 120 thousand guests in the building. He states that he had to adapt the operation after complaints from neighbors about the movement of employees. For Guilherme Milani, Copan's property manager, the problems are not exclusive to guests. "Were there rules broken? There were. We also have residents and tenants who also break rules here." He deals with complaints from those who feel that the residential building has become an "informal hotel with some residents". But he believes that short-term rentals have helped to revitalize the Center of São Paulo, where 20% of properties are unoccupied. Listen to Fantástico podcasts THIS IS FANTASTIC The Isso É Fantástico podcast is available on g1 and the main podcast apps, bringing great reports, investigations and fascinating podcast stories with the Fantástico journalism seal: depth, context and information. Follow, like or subscribe to Isso É Fantástico on your favorite podcast player. Every Sunday there's a new episode.