Projects that Operate as Hotels or Motels

A project may not be operated or managed as a hotel, motel, or similar commercial entity as evidenced by meeting one or more of the following criteria:

• The HOA is licensed as a hotel, motel, resort, or hospitality entity.

• The HOA or project’s legal documents restrict owners’ ability to occupy the unit during any part of the year.

• The HOA or project’s legal documents require owners to make their unit available for rental pooling (daily or otherwise).

• The HOA or the project’s legal documents require unit owners to share profits from the rental of units with the HOA, management company, or resort, or hotel rental company.

In addition to the requirements above, any project with one or more of the following characteristics is ineligible. The project

• is primarily transient in nature;

• offers hotel type services (including those offered by or contracted through the HOA or management company) or characteristics such as registration services, rentals of units on a daily or short-term basis, daily cleaning services, central telephone service, central key systems and restrictions on interior decorating;

• is a conversion of a hotel (or a conversion of a similar type of transient housing) unless the project was a gut rehabilitation and the resulting condo units no longer have the characteristics of a hotel or similar type of transient housing building;

• is subject to voluntary rental-pooling, revenue, profit or commission sharing agreements with the HOA or management company, or similar agreements that restrict the unit owner’s ability to occupy the unit such as blackout dates and occupancy limits to assure an inventory of units for rent on a frequent basis. This may include daily, weekly, monthly or seasonal restrictions;

• is professionally managed by a hotel or resort management company that also facilitates short term rentals for unit owners or projects with management companies that are licensed as a hotel, motel, resort, or hospitality entity;

• is deemed to be ineligible under Freddie Mac’s requirements because of condo hotel, resort, transient or short-term rental activity;

• has a legal or common name that contains hotel, motel, or resort, unless the use of hotel, motel, or resort is a reference to a historical use of the building and not reflective of its current use as a residential condo or co-op project;

• is marketed as a hotel, motel, resort or investment opportunity; or

• has obtained a hotel or resort rating for its hotel, motel, or resort operations through hotel ratings providers including, but not limited to, travel agencies, hotel booking websites, and internet search engines.

The following criteria are examples of some common red flags. The underwriter should perform additional due diligence of the project when any of these characteristics are present:

• 75% or more of the units are owned as investment and second home occupancy

• units that do not contain full-sized kitchen appliances;

• advertisements for daily or short-term rental rates;

• franchise agreements;

• location of the project in a resort area;

• units that are less than 400 square feet;

• amenities that are common in hotels or resorts including spa services, concierge services, rentals of recreational equipment or amenities, childcare services for short-term renters, scheduled social or entertainment activities for short-term renters, airport shuttles, ski lift shuttles or ski lift and trail passes, or other vacation amenities and packages; or

• interior doors that adjoin different units.