Concerned about short-term rentals on Hilton Head? How to make your voice heard
The growing number of short-term rentals on Hilton Head Island has vexed some neighborhoods in recent years, and the town now wants residents’ feedback on how to address the issue.
The town wants to draft an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals such as Airbnbs and Vrbo locations, but is still working out the details.
Residents can weigh in during a series of public meetings in early 2022, the town announced Wednesday.
The meetings include:
An open house on Jan. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Hilton Head Public Service District Community Room, 21 Oak Park Drive. People can drop by to get information about the idea and provide input. Another open house will be held on Jan. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Head Branch Library Large Meeting Room, 11 Beach City Road.
Two virtual meetings for short-term rental owners and other members of the public. The first meeting will be held on Jan. 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. The second will be held on Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to noon. Information on how to join the meetings will soon be posted on the town’s website.
An online survey about short-term rentals is open until Jan. 31: bit.ly/HiltonHeadSurvey
The town also is planning to solicit input from Gullah leaders and utilities, among others.
The government hopes to finalize the new short-term rental ordinance sometime in June, records show.
“The lack of a short-term rental ordinance for the town has led to an imbalance between residential and resort districts and the changes to some long-term single-family neighborhoods,” wrote Anne Cyran, the town’s interim comprehensive planning manager, in a Wednesday statement.
Town staff members are “pursuing a limited contract” with a short-term rental monitoring company to obtain data on the number and location of Hilton Head’s short- and long-term residential rental properties in 2019 and 2021.
Some of South Carolina’s coastal municipalities already have rules on short-term rentals. The city of Charleston, for example, requires that short-term rental operators pay business license fees and have special permits. The town of Kiawah Island has caps on the number of short-term rentals allowed in various residential zoning districts.
“We are investigating ways to develop a fair, predictable and balanced approach to manage short-term rental impacts on our neighborhoods,” Cyran wrote.
In a separate matter, Hilton Head’s Town Council in April voted to join a class action lawsuit against Airbnb, Vrbo, Tripadvisor and other entities, alleging that the companies do not remit accommodations taxes or pay for business licenses in South Carolina. The lawsuit is ongoing.
