Residents concerned, confused and cantankerous about a proposed citywide ordinance for the regulation of short-term vacation rentals showed up in force at the first of two public meetings on the topic.
About 80 people packed into the Metropolitan Planning Commission on Thursday morning to hear city staff give an update on what exactly is being presented to City Council at an upcoming workshop on June 26.
The issue has been a hot-button one since the city began cracking down on those operating vacation rentals in neighborhoods not zoned for this use but acknowledged it also needed to create rules specific to what is a growing cottage industry.
Bridget Lidy, Savannah’s tourism administrator, said some of the issues the city has with short-term vacation rentals have to do with zoning, life and safety concerns, fairness with taxes and quality of life within the neighborhood.
“With those four different components, what we’re trying to come up with is a balance and fair approach to managing this particular issue,” Lidy said.
To help with existing regulations, she said, the city wants to create a text amendment to give vacation rentals their own definition in the code — separate from inns and bed & breakfasts — subject to restrictions on number of guests and required parking spaces, among other minutiae.
The second proposed idea is for a “short-term vacation rental certificate,” which would be required for all units being rented to visitors staying less than 30 days.
To obtain this certificate, Lidy said, a person would need to provide proof of ownership, an owner’s compliance verification form, a copy of the owner-occupant agreement and, most importantly, a business tax certificate.
This business tax certificate has been an especially contentious issue because some short-term rental owners have not been remitting the 6 percent hotel-motel tax that all hotels must pay. Lidy said the city wants to keep better track of rentals and make sure it is collecting all of the revenue it’s owed for those lodging transient guests.
Some in attendance were property owners who felt the city’s concerns were overblown and unfairly targeting them.
“You talk about this quality of life, what about the same problems that come from owners or full-time rentals, why is just the smallest tiniest segment like vacation rentals being blamed for all of the problems resulting in this ordinance — that is not exactly equitable,” said Tanya Smith, a short-term rental owner.
Several others echoed Smith, saying the city should more closely scrutinize long-term rentals as well.
“I’m a little bit worried about the safety requirements in the hands of people who don’t appreciate the historic beauty of historic houses,“ said Kenneth Zapp, who had recently purchased a property on Howard Street to use as a vacation rental. “When you talk about safety and access, what do you do for an 1869 rowhouse?”
Lidy said the steps the city is taking are necessary after fielding complaints.
Zoning administrator Geoff Goins said the city had issued 70 citations so far to illegal short-term rentals, 18 of which resulted from direct complaints from neighbors.
To date, 40 of those have stopped operating, 12 are in recorder’s court, five people are seeking use approvals and 17 are pending summons.
For those wishing to attend the next meeting, it will be Tuesday, June 17 at 4 p.m. at the Metropolitan Planning Commission at 112 E. State Street.
To see the full text of the city’s proposed ordinance and regulations, go to savannahga.gov/tourism.