Nashville is considering new ways to crack down on unlicensed Airbnbs and vacation rentals, with the Metro Council set to introduce three proposals Tuesday.
One would require the owners of short-term rental properties to include their permit numbers in their online listings. That would allow inspectors to see which ones haven’t filed for a city license.
The
permitting process went into effect last year after fierce debate about the particulars, and
threads of dissatisfaction haven’t subsided.
A
second measure would require permit-seekers to include an oath that their application materials are factual and not in violation of homeowner association bylaws (if the property is governed by an association).
And Councilman Bob Mendes’s
third proposal could go the furthest in limiting short-term rentals.
On his blog,
Mendes writes that he wants to force a debate about how many people can occupy a rented home or apartment in Nashville.
On one hand, city code has long said that no more than three unrelated people can rent together. But the law governing short-term rentals allows more — up to 12, depending on the number of rooms.
Mendes says the city needs to choose one standard or the other and that setting the right rules could determine whether neighborhoods keep a residential feel or become what he describes as business “motel districts.”
What do we value more — long-standing occupancy rules designed to maintain the residential character of neighborhoods or growing a new business model that places tax-paying businesses in the middle of neighborhoods?
Mendes says he favors preserving the character of neighborhoods.
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