Looking for short-term rentals in Matthews? Well, some residents wish that wasn’t even an option.
Residents expressed their concerns about existing short-term rentals in its quaint single-family neighborhoods, and now city officials are looking for ways to regulate the booming business.
At the Monday’s Board of Commissioners meetingDirector of Planning Jay Camp presented regulatory proposals to leaders that included zoning permits, limitations on guests per room and bans on events.
The move makes Matthews the newest community in the state and Charlotte area seeking to regulate short-term rentals.
Lake Norman Residents Spoke prompting the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to review zoning regulations. Iredell County commissioners were also considering increasing regulations, but were soon faced a lawsuit in February by property owners and managers claiming the county’s zoning regulations were illegal.
Last year, the state nearly passed a bill that would have prevented local governments from to ban short-term rentals but the project was paralyzed in the Senate.
How did we get here
Loud parties and noises day and night, rows of parked cars filling the small streets and a revolving crowd of unknown neighbors are what worries some residents about short-term rentals.
In February, a petition was started asking city halls to prohibit establishments in single-family neighborhoods, according to media outlets.
But an outright ban can’t happen, Camp said at a council meeting in March. “A total ban on use is not permitted. You have to recognize the use and have a place for it,” Camp said at the time.
Short-term rentals are not currently a regulated use under the Matthews Unified Development Ordinance, according to Camp. They may exist, but there are no regulations.
There are also no strict state laws regarding what local governments can do regarding short-term rental regulations. The only known law is that municipalities cannot require owners of short-term rentals to register their properties, according to a 2022 report. North Carolina Court of Appeals decision against the city of Wilmington.
The decision led regulatory calls dropped in Charlotte.
However, according to the same decisionlocal governments can regulate where these rentals go and how they operate.
Therefore, Planning and Development began to develop what these regulations could look like over the last few months. They presented these ideas to the council on Monday.
Here are some of Matthews’ proposals
First, the city would need to define what a short-term rental is. youAccording to the proposal, there would be three types of rental: a bed and breakfast, which already existed at UDO; a family home, which means that part of the house is rented; and a whole house rental.
Then there would be a limit to where these establishments could go.
Short-term rental operators would need to apply for a zoning permit, post it and pay applicable taxes. Each operation would need to be at least 800 feet from the other.
They would also be permitted in most traditional residential neighborhoods, along with historic mixed-use and multifamily concentrated urban cores.
There would also be operational and usage restrictions, such as no special events or meetings, no more than two guests per room and parking rules. Additionally, the operator must live in or adjacent to Mecklenburg County.
Camp said Monday’s meeting was the start of a dialogue between officials and residents.
“Right now they are an unregulated use. Our decree is very silent,” Camp said. “Our powers as a local government are very specific in that they are delegated by the General Assembly. We have to more or less stay in our lane when we write zoning regulations.”
As far as penalties are concerned, two or more violations will lead to license revocation. These violations include noise ordinance violations, public nuisance violations, and failure to comply with zoning regulations.
Do these rent rules help Matthews?
While these proposals are a first step in addressing residents’ concerns, they would only affect new establishments.
These rules could not be applied retroactively to existing short-term rentals. “No matter what we do from a regulation standpoint, you can’t regulate use outside of your community,” Camp said.
The violations, however, would apply to existing leases.
According to Camp, there are approximately 30 short-term rentals listed on AirBnB and VRBO. But this is just an estimate. There is no way to know how many there are in the area without a registration system.
Camp said he got this information from short-term rental websites, but some rentals don’t use those sites.
Some of the rentals currently in operation are a nuisance, residents said during the public hearing. About 15 people spoke and most were completely opposed to short-term rentals. Some said that if they had to exist, the regulations should be strict.
Many residents said rentals near them host parties, block traffic with multiple parked cars, and change the atmosphere of the neighborhood.
They also compared living near rentals to living near a hotel.
“There were some situations where people stayed and it was a little uncomfortable,” Katherine Hardister said. “Again, it’s a short-term nuisance. Then the next batch arrives and you don’t know. I can only hope that this will be my life as long as I live there. You don’t know what you’re going to get.”
Most speakers echoed the sentiment. When you move to a new place, there’s a chance you won’t like your neighbor, Hardister suggested, but rotating guests in short-term rentals leave neighbors unsure of who’s next to them.
But some residents support short-term rentals and are also in favor of regulations.
Ian Goldstein said he owns a short-term rental in Matthews and understands why people are upset. However, he is against a total ban.
Goldstein urged residents to call authorities when noise laws are violated and to contact him if they have questions. He added that most of the people he rents to are just looking for low-cost romantic getaways.
“I say about 80% are couples who are traveling through the city… and the other 20% are people visiting the city for business or family,” Goldstein said. “I have no problems with the regulation of AirBnbs. This should be done for any business… You want them banned and it just won’t happen.”
Just the beginning of the debate
As Camp said, this is just the beginning of the conversation. Planning members may consider reducing the number of residential zoning districts that allow rentals. There may also be changes to the proposed parking measures.
The conversation will continue on August 12th, at the next planning meeting.
