COLUMBIA, S.C. — Short-term rentals in Columbia neighborhoods may soon be banned.
An ordinance is being drafted by Columbia City Council Members to put restrictions on rentals, like Airbnbs.
The ordinance aims to get rid of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods if the property is not occupied by the owner. In other words, it would stop people from buying homes solely to rent them out on Airbnb or other booking platforms.
"To me, a non-owner-occupied residence that’s being rented out for less than 30 days is a hotel, and it needs to be in a commercial area," City Councilman Howard Duvall told News19.
Duvall said short-term rentals often cause disturbances for neighbors.
"This has a bad impact on the neighborhood," he said. "These people come in for a day or two for an event and they party. They have loud music. They have a crowd assemble in the middle of a residential area," said Duvall.
Duvall added that he's been working with local neighborhoods like Elmwood Park on this issue, but the neighborhood association was unable to provide a statement at this time.
Graeme Moore, owner of real estate business The Moore Company and an Airbnb host thinks "this is a ridiculous proposal."
Moore owns a single-family home in Columbia that he rents out on Airbnb. He said it’s usually booked 15 days out of the month and he’s never had issues with parties.
"Short-term rentals have become a part of life and a part of travel," Moore told News19. "Millions and millions of people obviously like it and expect it when they come to a city. And for the City of Columbia to not have that as an offering by and large is absolutely insane."
The ordinance would not affect vacant rentals in commercial areas or owner-occupied homes in residential neighborhoods.
"If it’s an owner-occupied home, they can rent out a room, or a garage apartment, or accessory building," explained Duvall.
However, Moore thinks the ordinance, if passed, would take away most of the Airbnbs in Columbia and have a negative impact on the city.
"It’s going to affect our quality of life in Columbia. It's going to affect our image to people who want to visit our city," Moore said.
The ordinance will be introduced during a City Council meeting in July. Once that happens, Council will give opportunities for public input before starting the voting process.