Impact
WARD / COUNCILMEMBER: Ward / Citywide
$ IMPACT: N/A
Title
Public Hearing - Approval of Ordinance ORD2022-01 for the adoption of the Short-term Rental Ordinance under Chapter 22 - Businesses of the City's Code of Ordinances and authorize the Mayor to sign and execute all related documents.
Ward / Citywide
Body
ISSUE AND BACKGROUND: The City of Smyrna has received numerous calls and complaints regarding short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods in the city. Complaints centered on house parties, parking, trash and general property maintenance issues surrounding the operation of short-term rental units. Mayor Norton created the Committee on Short-Term Rentals in Spring of 2021. The Committee was created to study and address issues related to the impacts of short-term rental units on surrounding residential neighborhoods and the city. Mayor Norton appointed Councilman Glenn Pickens as the chair of the Committee, as well as Councilmen Lewis Wheaton and Tim Gould. The Committee met several times over the last year (3/16/21, 6/9/21 & 6/23/21, 9/30/21, 12/9/21, 1/6/22, 2/7/22) to discuss short-term rentals and develop a proposed ordinance to address issues and concerns.
The City of Smyrna currently does not regulate the operation of short-term rental units. A short-term rental unit is defined as an accommodation for transient guests where, in exchange for compensation, a residential dwelling unit or a portion thereof is provided for lodging for a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) consecutive days. There are approximately 225 to 300 rental units in operation the City of Smyrna at any given time. These units include whole unit rentals (whole house or dwelling unit) or partial unit rentals (one or two rooms of an occupied dwelling are rented). Short-term rental units are located in both multi-family and single-family developments.
The Committee studied short-term rental ordinances from other municipalities in the State of Georgia. The other municipalities included Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Hall County, South Fulton, Macon, Savannah, Columbus and Atlanta. The Committee studied the operational requirements, application procedures, penalties, fees, etc. for short-term rentals in these communities.
After the review of the other municipalities in the state, the Committee wanted to require a license for the operation of a short-term rentals and set limitations on location, occupancy, parking, use of accessory structures and other limitation for short-term rental in residential single-family neighborhoods.
RECOMMENDATION / REQUESTED ACTION: The Committee on Short-term Rentals and Community Development recommend approval of ORD2022-01 for the adoption of the Short-term Rental Ordinance under Chapter 22 - Businesses of the City's Code of Ordinances and authorize the Mayor to sign and execute all related documents.