SNELLVILLE – Regulations on short-term rentals in the city, like those used through companies like Airbnb, were adopted by Mayor and Council Monday.
While not an issue currently in Snellville, city officials were concerned with reports of illicit activity at short-term rental properties and decided to create regulations locally "to provide for the continued availability of quality transient lodging within the city and proper maintenance of short-term rentals," according to the new ordinance.
Short-term rentals are defined as dwellings rented out for 30 consecutive nights or less.
There is "evidence that there can be unsafe short-term rentals, that minimum life safety codes are not enforced and that unregulated commercial use of these structures can become havens for criminal activity affecting the quality of life in the surrounding communities," the ordinance reads.
Under the new ordinance, a separate business license is required for each short-term rental unit, except where an owner owns multiple short-term rentals in a residential community or multiple residential communities and applies for a business license for a single business license for such units.
Applications for a short-term rental business license must be filed with the city's Planning Department by the owner prior to use of the property as a short-term rental. All applications for a short-term rental business license must contain, among other requirements, the square footage and maximum occupant information, verification of code and safety requirements, parking space information, a hotel/motel occupancy tax registration certificate and an application fee payment.
The ordinance states occupancy is limited to two occupants per bedroom plus two additional residents. Aside from those occupants, six additional visitors are allowed. Sufficient parking for renters must be provided on paved parking spaces within the property, not on right-of-ways. Owners must have security cameras recording all entry ways to the dwelling and driveways.
Punishment for violating these conditions is a warning, followed by fines and eventual license revocation.