Short-term rentals are a business and should be treated as such.

They compete with the hotels in the county and with other short-term rentals. The short-term rentals should have a tax and fee structure comparable to the hotels. Additional fees for maintaining the complaint hotline are relevant as most hotels are staffed overnight.

They may be under-represented in county politics and the suggestion to register as a voter in Summit County is valid. But short-term rental owners should not have any considerations that would differentiate them from their competition.

They are not owed an opportunity, nor is there a right, to make a profit on their rentals. A business, by definition, has risk. And managing that risk, and competing fairly, is when short-term rentals will be profitable.