The number of short-term rentals in Puerto Rico has surged. A new report says that's a problem

abcnews.go.com:

A new report says activists want stricter regulations of short-term rentals in Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory sees a growing number of displaced renters and a spike in housing costs

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Activists want stricter regulations of short-term rentals in Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory sees a growing number of displaced renters and a spike in housing costs, the Hispanic Federation said in a report Wednesday.

The number of units operating as short-term rentals in Puerto Rico jumped to more than 25,000 in 2022 from about 1,000 in 2014, the report commissioned by the federation said.

It found that while short-term rentals create jobs, attract visitors and lead to more transportation options, renters have faced evictions, the cost of goods have increased amid an economic crisis and some ecological areas have been destroyed during new construction.

The report calls for creating a public registry of short-term rentals, classifying them as a business and increasing the island’s room tax from 7% to up to 11% and using the additional revenue to develop affordable housing.

“This has gotten to a point where the impacts are really palpable in Puerto Rico,” Charlotte Gossett Navarro, the foundation’s Puerto Rico chief director, said in an interview.

A key factor in the increase of short-term rentals was Hurricane Maria, which pummeled the island in September 2017. Many people migrated to the U.S. mainland afterward, while scores of new investors came to the island to buy homes and properties.

That led to a reduction in housing availability and affordability, Gossett said, adding that other factors including the pandemic also are to blame.

Now, between 100 to 400 new short-term rentals are reported a month in Puerto