On Wednesday, 9/11, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved a resolution for the Planning Department to form a citizen task force and launch a public engagement process.
Some key changes were made to the resolution prior to its approval. A quick summary:
- The council divided STRs into three categories: rentals of rooms or ADUs in which the owner remains on site, rentals of a primary residence in which the owner vacates the property during the stay, and non-owner occupied rentals (aka “investor properties”). The task force will now focus primarily on non-owner occupied rentals. Meanwhile, town staff will work on registration and health and safety requirements for all STRs, which the task force will review.
- Nuisance issues will no longer be wrapped into the STR discussion or a future ordinance. The town is currently considering a switch from criminal enforcement (ticket and court date) to civil enforcement (tickets only but with increasing penalties) for nuisance violations across all property types, which is expected to make existing nuisance ordinances easier to enforce.
- The task force spots will be allotted as follows: two advisory board champions, one each from the Housing Advisory Board and Planning Commission; a resident of the historic district; two STR operators or advocates; four community members at large; two hotel operators or those knowledgeable about lodging; and two alternates.
Upcoming Timeline:
- Task force applications open September 12. Deadline to apply: September 24. Apply here >
- STR Open House: September 23, 5:30-7:30, Seymore Senior Center. View flyer >
- Council subcommittee (Mayor Hemminger, Council Members Stegman and Buansi) will evaluate applications and make appointment recommendations to the Council on October 2
- Task force will meet regularly starting in October
- Council has requested a proposed ordinance by March 2020
Read the full resolution here.
Student Rentals Petition
At the start of the 9/11 meeting, there was a petition submitted by members of neighborhoods near Hillsborough Road requesting issues around student rentals be combined into the STR discussion and ordinance process. The Council cannot act on petitions in the meeting during which they are submitted, so they voted to refer it to the Mayor and Town Manager. There is no indication student rental issues will be combined into the STR process.
Looking Ahead
At this point, what the approved resolution means is that those who rent a primary residence, whether hosted or unhosted, will be largely protected under the future ordinance and only be required to register and comply with to-be-determined health and safety standards. This is likely to include proof that your STR is your primary residence and the requirement of paying local occupancy taxes. It is important to remember, however, that this process is only starting so specifics have not yet been determined, and any future ordinance does not guarantee your right to rent forever. We encourage all members to remain active and vigilant through this process and beyond.
For those who rent non-owner occupied properties, they will be subject to the same registration and health and safety standards as primary residence STRs. Any other rules or requirements will be discussed by the task force. We encourage you to apply to the task force, participate in surveys from the Planning Department scheduled over the next few months, and otherwise make your voice heard. Council member contact information can be found here, or email the Chapel Hill Short-Term Rental Alliance at ChapelHillSTRA@gmail.com.