HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Hamilton County Commission is set to vote on a ban for short-term vacation rentals located in residential parts of the county.
STVR owners we spoke with Thursday say they see how some may consider them a disturbance.
But they hope people can also see how they are a great opportunity for neighborhoods.
Last year, Hamilton County put in place specific rules about how STVR’s can operate.
Those rules included requiring signage, enforcing quiet hours, and restrictions on how many people can be in a home.
The rules also stated that an STVR could operate in any zone in the county other than manufacturing.
This new resolution would change that, preventing them from operating in residentially zoned areas.
“There’s going to be shady activities, there’s going to be criminals, but because of that, we can just ban everything?” Alex Wenzel says.
Do STVRs like Airbnb belong in residential neighborhoods?
“Neighborhoods were built for neighbors to live in, for kids to play. Not to get new neighbors every three to five days,” Commissioner Gene-O Shipley says.
Some Hamilton County commissioners think the answer to that question is no.
“Please think about giving our neighborhoods back to the people who live in them and get this out of neighborhoods,” Shipley says.
But STVR owners say theres benefits to having them there.
“You raise the price on the real estate in the community, so a lot of people happy if you’re allowed to have short term vacation here,” Wenzel says.
The Hamilton County mayor’s office says there are 64 permitted short term rentals in the county, and 25 more are going through the review process.
Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research found Airbnb properties in local neighborhoods can have a positive impact on house prices and rent.
“When I’m traveling, I like to be within the community, get to know the culture and how everybody lives instead of being a hotel,” Wenzel says.
Alex Wenzel owns an Airbnb property in Brently Estates in Chattanooga.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office says a nearby Airbnb was the center of an investigation when 60 shots rang out in front of the property.
She says she was worried about potential illegal activity there.
But Commissioner Joe Graham says the men at that STVR were in town for a car show, and that the “activity” she was worried about was them ordering food delivery.
But Wenzel says he’s never had any problems with the people who stay at his property.
“If I have, it was very minimal. But all my neighbors here, I have good relationships with them,” Wenzel says.
We spoke to a few other Airbnb owners on the phone Thursday. They all say they will be speaking out on this topic at the next commission meeting.