Virginia Beach to consider restrictions on Airbnb, other short-term rentals

(The Center Square) – Virginia Beach will consider putting restrictions on Airbnb and other short-term rentals during a city council meeting Tuesday.

Under the proposed rules, a person would not be able to open a new short-term rental in parts of Shore Drive, Oceanfront and North End. Although a person may open up new rentals in certain parts, North End would be limited to 10.6% of the total homes, and East Shore Drive would be limited to 11.5% of the total homes.

Short-term rentals in certain areas also will have limits on the number of rental contracts they can have every week.

According to the proposed ordinance, short-term rentals in residential areas cause excessive noise, illegal or improper parking, traffic violations, congestion and litter, all of which interfere with the quiet enjoyment of the residential neighborhoods. The ordinance states these rule changes will prevent short-term rentals from causing adverse effects on such neighborhoods.

Robert Melvin, the director of government affairs at the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association, said his organization supports localities having the right to impose reasonable requirements on short-term rentals.

Melvin said current rules do not put short-term rentals on a level playing field with hotels because they do not have to meet the same health and safety regulations or follow the same zoning rules.

During the last public hearing, some members of the community complained about disruptions caused by those renting out short-term rentals, such as loud parties. Melvin said short-term rentals in residential areas often cause people to become concerned.

Not everyone viewed the regulations positively, however. Adrian Moore, the vice president of policy at the Reason Foundation, said the city can deal with nuisance problems with better enforcement of existing laws that already prohibit that activity, rather than limiting options for tourists.

Moore said these kinds of regulations often get pushed by the hotel industry because short-term rentals cut into their profits by increasing competition. He said they aren’t governed by the same rules because they’re effectively different: short-term rentals are homes, similar to the ones the tourists live in, while hotels are much larger and require different kinds of policies, such as evacuation procedures.

“Homes are not hotels,” Moore said.

Moore said limits on rentals are harmful to tourism and the economy because there is a lot of demand for short-term rentals. He said they are good for certain trips and, sometimes, people would rather stay in a home with a yard, rather than in a hotel.

The city council is expected to vote on the restrictions at a meeting at 6 p.m.

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