The association Spasimo male obiteljske iznajmljivače (SMOi) has firmly rejected the public labelling of the organisation and its members, which it says was made by Dubrovnik mayor Mato Franković at a session of the City Council. In a press release signed by the association's president, Vedran Tomić, they are demanding that the mayor substantiate his claims with verifiable data or publicly retract them.
Franković claimed that SMOi is not an association of small landlords, but of those who hold dozens of apartments, stating: "Because of them, young people have nowhere to live." The association notes that with such a statement, the mayor directly linked the association's activities and membership to the housing problems of young people in Dubrovnik.
SMOi acknowledges that the mayor has the right to a political stance and to advocate for a specific public policy, but considers that he has no right to present unfounded and unproven claims about the largest national association of small landlords and its members as established facts. They are asking the mayor to publicly present the data on which his claims are based, and if he does not have such data, they expect a clear and public retraction of the claims and an apology.
In addition, the association has requested from the City of Dubrovnik, under the Law on the Right of Access to Information, the provision of existing analyses and expert data on the impact of tourist rentals on housing availability and prices, as well as housing opportunities for young people. The request covers data on the number of tourist accommodation units and concentration of ownership, expert data linking short-term rentals to housing difficulties for young people, the Destination Management Plan with the methodology for calculating carrying capacity, as well as existing analyses of alternative housing measures and assessments of the impact of possible restrictions on small family landlords.
The association states that young people and small landlords are not on opposite sides. They do not dispute the problem of affordable housing or the need for young people and young families to be able to live and work in Dubrovnik, and consider affordable housing one of the key issues for the city's future. However, they emphasise that the right of young people to a home must not serve as a justification for publicly accusing a citizens' association and attributing collective responsibility to small family landlords.
According to their position, serious housing policy must consider all relevant factors: housing construction, availability of long-term rentals, citizens' purchasing power, demographic changes, concentration of ownership and tourist demand. It is necessary to clearly distinguish citizen landlords from large investment systems. SMOi states that it does not claim that tourist rentals should be excluded from analysis, but demands that their impact be determined on the basis of data, and that measures be justified, assessed and applied according to clear and equal criteria.
The association considers it particularly concerning when a holder of executive authority uses the authority of a public office to discredit an association that represents citizens' interests and participates in discussions on public policies. They are demanding the transparent publication of existing expert data, clear justification for proposed restrictions and the inclusion of representatives of small family landlords in discussions on decisions that directly affect their families and businesses.
At the end of the release, they emphasise that they are not asking the mayor for agreement, but for accountability for publicly made claims. If unfounded claims are not corrected, they will consider available legal mechanisms to protect the reputation and interests of the association.
