500 People May Lose Their Last Chance to Complete the Required STR Training Online: City Fails to Post the Correct Link
Background:
Under the new rules to obtain a Short Term Rental permit in non-commercial zones (“NSTR permit”), owners and operators are required to take a class provided by the New Orleans Short Term Rental Administration. This class lasts for about two hours and focuses on what owners and operators must do to successfully complete the application. While classes have been offered in the past, the last online class is scheduled for this morning, Thursday, June 29, 2023, at 11 a.m. C.T.
Breaking:
The Short Term Rental Administration has mistakenly cancelled the link to the last online training and replaced it with a new one. No details were provided about how the previous link was cancelled or when it was cancelled. As of this writing—less than twelve hours before the final class is scheduled to begin— the new, correct link has not been posted on the City’s Short Term Rental Administration’s website.
The only notice of the new training link came in an email from the Short Term Rental Administration to the email list that signed up for Short Term Rental updates from the City.
However, that one email has proved insufficient to alert people of the new link, especially as the City website still has the old, now canceled link posted.
However, that one email has proved insufficient to alert people of the new link, especially as the City website still has the old, now canceled link posted.
To be clear, this means that since at least Monday, the City has known that the link on its website will not work to provide the last, required training, but it left it up there anyway. Additionally, there was never a requirement that people who desired to apply for an NSTR permit join the City’s email list.
Who is Harmed?
Responsible owners and hosts who registered to take the required class using the link the City provided on its website, and who are still registering to take the required class, will now not be able to take the needed class. Unless the owner/operator happens to be on the City’s email list or happens to see this blog post, there’s seemingly no way for the owners and operators to find out about the new link. (Stow Firm clients have been emailed separately.) The result is predictable: hundreds of people are set to miss the last training. As of this writing, 730 people have registered for the last training using the wrong link.
The new link has far fewer people registered for it. It has a mere 230 people registered:
This means exactly five hundred people who registered for the class in advance, using the old link, do not know about the new link. They are set to miss their last chance to get the class they need to run their Short Term Rental online. For those who can take 2+ hours to head down to City Hall in the middle of the day, there is also one last in-person training this Friday, June 30, 2023, in the City Council Chambers, starting at 10 a.m.
What’s Next?
If you know of a person who still needs to take the City’s Short Term Rental Class, please share the new link with them:
New Link, according to the City’s email noted above: New Link
Additionally, the Stow Firm stands ready to serve Short Term Rental owners, operators, and NSTR applicants. If you would like help completing your application, please call us today. We have a flat fee service that provides professional application preparation.