Banning short-term rentals
Norris eyes residential property guidelines
Airbnb-type vacation rental properties in Norris could soon be banned in most residential areas of the city, including the original neighborhoods, after action by the Planning Commission on Monday night.
The commission voted 4-1 with one abstention to ask the City Council to amend the zoning laws to prohibit overnight rentals in R1 and R2 residential zones. The measure would allow such rentals in commercial and recreational areas (C1, P1, S1), as well as the residential areas of Dairy Pond Road, which fall in the “FAR” zone – which is meant for small farms.
City Councilman Will Grinder, who also sits on the Planning Commission, made the motion to change the zoning rules to restrict short-term rentals from the city’s high-density residential areas. The motion was seconded by commission member Loy Johnson.
But when it came time to vote, Grinder abstained from voting, and Planning Commission Chairman Joe Feeman voted “no.”
The motion passed, so the proposed zoning change now goes to the City Council. The council must approve the change by ordinance, which would require two readings and a public hearing.
Norris council members approved a short-term housing rental ordinance in March, but realized at the time that any restrictions on where the rentals could operate would have to be done through zoning ordinances.
As it stands now, short-term rentals are allowed anywhere in the city. But the council wanted them kept out of residential areas where parking is limited and traffic problems could result from the overnight tenants.
Under the current ordinance, owners of such rental properties are required to obtain city permits and pay taxes on each rental transaction.
Short-term rentals are defined by the ordinance as being overnight accommodations, other than hotel and bed-and-breakfast lodgings, of at least one night, but no longer than 30 nights.
They have become popular worldwide through such online services as Airbnb and Vrbo (Vacation Rental by Owner).
Under the ordinance, owners of these properties have to pay $250 to apply for a city permit, as well as obtain Anderson County and Norris city business licenses for them. They also must pay an annual $50 fee for renewal of the permit and inspection of the property.
The ordinance left out two provisions the City Council wanted to enforce for short-term rentals: one limiting them to specific zones; and another setting up a city sales tax for rental transactions.
A separate ordinance has since been passed to levy the city sales tax on rentals.
any short-term rentals already operating in the city will be allowed to continue even if they are in a zone that excludes them, as they will be grandfathered in as “legacy” properties.