Beaufort could change short-term rental rules

About 20 residents filled a City Hall conference room Tuesday to tell city council members how they felt about the rentals. Some feel the current process allowing the short-term rentals -- defined as those leased for less than 30 days -- is too arbitrary.

The practice is allowed in commercial areas.

In residential areas, short-term rentals are allowed only by exception requiring a vote from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The perception is that board members are rubber-stamping approvals if no neighbors step forward to complain and denying requests when neighbors do come forward. The current criteria for approving rentals in residential areas is that the use matches the surrounding area, fits the city's long-term plans and doesn't create potential nuisances for residents.

"Should we have one rule for all neighborhoods or recognize the neighborhoods are different and will have different criteria?" North Street resident Pete Palmer asked.

The issue was addressed in a draft of a new city code under review through next summer. Under the new code, short-term rentals would continue to be barred from the Point and would be allowed in the downtown Bluff and Old Commons neighborhoods only when paired with renovation of a historic property.

Palmer said about 80 percent of residents in his Bluff neighborhood oppose short-term rentals and that the practice detracts from a sense of "neighborhoodliness."

Charlie Calvert, a USC Beaufort professor who operates a short-term rental on Scott Street, said the city should avoid a blanket policy and should crack down on rentals operating without a license. He said neighboring houses were vacant when he invested in his property and that he is upset some are speaking out now.

"I have invested a lot of money in an area I thought was kind of scary," he said.

Maxine Lutz, director of Historic Beaufort Foundation but speaking as a resident of the Old Commons neighborhood, said she was concerned about the number popping up in the historic district. She asked council to consider the impact on "fragile neighborhoods."

The popular vacation website Airbnb.com lists 45 short-term rentals for Beaufort, though some of those are outside city limits in Burton or on Lady's Island.

Concerns about short-term rentals range from not knowing your neighbors to possible noise, trash and additional cars parked throughout the neighborhood. Duke Street residents Donna Armer and Alice Washington spoke in favor of maintaining the traditional neighborhood feel.

Josh Gibson, another Duke Street resident who was recently appointed to the zoning board, said concerns arise from uncertainty about short-term rentals but not actual recorded incidents of renters behaving badly.

"You can't legislate against bad neighbors," he said.

Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.

Related content:

• Beaufort considers short-term rental process as vacation listings rise, Oct. 18, 2015
• Beaufort cracks down on short-term rentals while Council considers exceptions, Nov. 19, 2010

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 9:05 AM with the headline "Beaufort could change short-term rental rules."