Community requests delay of enforcement and a review of Asheville's policy on short term rentals

Short Term rentals are an excellent way for the most important middle class of this city to maintain houses that otherwise would be impossible to upkeep in this economy and due to age. Short term rentals benefit the middle class, the backbone of any economy!

I have several neighbors in financial g

Our guests are not 'transients', they are tourists attracted by our offerings and they spend their money locally at places we recommend. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance our community!

Please City Council. don

If you live in the house and rent part of it is it still technically illegal?

C'mon city council.asheville needs these rentals!! They bring in tons of revenue.

Short term rentals are a win for both the guests , the owners, and the city. STR's provide visitors to Ashevile the unique opportunity to have an option other than hotels and B&Bs.

Michael I agree with most of the post, however I am against any kind of regulation or licensing. My feeling is this will only add bureaucracy without need. These tend to be co opted over time by special interests because, well, they have special interests. Before you know it the regulations become so burdensome that this stops being a part time or occasional activity and then only those who can afford help to operate and keep the books can offer or benefit from these services. I came here from CA and can tell you first hand. The fact is my property is my property and I want to be able to do with it what I will...as to complaints about parking (we already have laws for that) parties or disturbing the peace (we already have laws for that)The number of guests is no ones business but mine, as long as I am bothering no one nor breaking a current law. And if there is a current law against, then we need to repeal it, not change how the city can control what we do on our own property.

So what is the status of this petition and the zoning rules in asheville?

My wife and I have had well over 200 Guests in our two Downtown Vacation Rentals in Asheville in the last 2 years. Compared to our longer term Tenants in the past 10 years, our Guests are, hands down, the best fit for the City, the County, and the neighborhood. Considering the neighborhood, some basic 'rules and regulations' may be in order, though they should primarily revolve around parking. The blend of tourists and residents in our wonderful City and County is what makes Asheville vibrant, economically viable, and changing! Bernie

Here is our STR advocacy group update - please read, circulate, and consider joining our group! Thanks for Sarah for the work in putting this together: Brief Summary of Asheville STR Advocacy December 2013 – July 2014 This short memo is being prepared at the request of the Short-Term Rental (STR) advocacy group. The purpose is to outline the status of our efforts to date and set out the tasks and deadlines for important milestones coming up. Goal: To obtain a City Ordinance for Asheville that is similar to the Buncombe County Ordinance regarding short-term rentals. Beginning in December 2013, attorney Derek Allen of Ward and Smith began representing client Jon Sarver, on behalf of a short-term rental advocacy collective. He has worked 30 hours towards this project. He has billed for a portion of the work as an accommodation to the group. From December 9, 2014 to March 3, 2014 Derek met with City Council members 4 times and staff members several times, in addition to reviewing materials received on the subject. From March 7 to April 8, Derek continued to meet with staff 7 times, Council once, and the STR collective 4 times. From April 9 to April 25, Derek met with city staff and council once each, STR owners 3 times. STR owners advocating for fair and reasonable rules for STR’s presented to both the Planning and Zoning Committee and Planning and Economic Development Committee in May. There were $3590 donations collected for legal aid, which was applied to the retainer. A bill of $3520 still remained at the end of May. At the May Planning and Zoning meeting, the P & Z committee voted not to recommend that changes to Homestay be recommended to Council, reasoning a lack of purpose and clear intent to why the changes were needed and a general concern with the bigger picture of how to address the controversy of STR’s. The need to better understand the speculation and rumored impact of STR’s to affordable housing was discussed in t

I couldn't agree more, Jane. Before our apt. was a STR, we had a long term tenant who was always selling a car or something else! And we too are much more fastidious with keeping up the lawn and garden to make sure things look good.

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There is a group organized for Asheville short term rental advocacy and you can join it here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/stra-asheville. We have hired a lawyer who has talked on our behalf to city council members, but we need to do more and need more funds. Please consider joining the group to learn what we've done so far and what needs yet to be done. We went to a zoning meeting and heard some of the complaints - besides the usuals of parking and partying, there was the complaint of the commercialization of neighborhoods and "those transient people". Most of our "transients" are age 65 and up! We are ambassadors of Asheville - we send guests to our favorite restaurants, stores, and venues, so we are part of Asheville's huge success with the tourism industry. Also, this STR movement has boomed not just all across the US but the world, so it's not going away. We advocate allowing home owners to apply for a home stay license (for detached apartments and mother in law sweets) as a way to regulate what's happening vs. using man power to bust people.

I am on-board with my vote!

I would like to respond to the claim that STR (short term rentals) diminish neighborhoods. In order to make my property competitive and to insure great reviews I spent over $10,000.00 renovating and upgrading my property. Furthermore I regularly inspect the lawn and garden and keep it immaculate so as to attract clients. Long term renters are not necessarily interested in property improvement and quite the opposite can be true and has occasionally been my experience. My property is vastly improved as a result of being a STR and this has been positive for the neighborhood. I very rarely have more than 2 cars at the property (and this requires special permission) whereas several of my long renters maintained as many as 5 cars at one time. I don't believe allowing STR's will significantly impact the amount of rentals on the market since managing one requires quite a lot of involvement on an on-going basis. Most folks do not have that kind of time available and long term renting is easier and less restrictive.

I think this effort should also get out in front of the down side of short term rentals- absentee homeowners who are not very attentive to problem tenants. I have spoken to neighbors who live next to homes rented by younger crowds who come to party. Also, parking can be an issue. Like Home occupation businesses, perhaps an application process with the City that address parking, maximum # of guests, a requirement that the homeowner dwell primarily in the home or on the property, etc.