By David Pendered
With Atlanta’s restrictions on short-term rentals set to take effect March 1, Brookhaven reported Tuesday its regulations have curbed problems associated with rental party houses.
Both cities have experienced situations in which rental houses were used for boisterous parties, spurring complaints from neighbors about noise and disturbances in otherwise fairly quiet residential neighborhoods.
Brookhaven adopted regulations in April 2019. The enforcement of these rules appears to have tamed behaviors associated with party houses, according to a presentation delivered Tuesday to the Brookhaven City Council by Linda Abaray, Brookhaven’s community development director.
Brookhaven hired a contractor to oversee the short-term rental business in the city. The contractor, Host Compliance, is vigilant in monitoring for unregistered rentals and communicating with both the property owner and Brookhaven’s code enforcement section, according to Abaray’s report. The company sends the property owner a letter advising of Brookhaven’s regulations. The city’s code enforcement section is informed, opens a file on the property and makes contact with the owner, according to Abaray’s presentation.
“It’s not a lot of staff time with our contract, with Host Compliance,” Abaray said. “We have code enforcement, [which] approves and monitors almost all of it. It’s very little staff to enforce. We haven’t had very many complaints. We’re pretty happy with the way the code has been working thus far.”
In the past six months, three citizens’ complaints have been submitted, Abaray said. Two rental units were shut down and the third unit came into compliance with Brookhaven’s regulations, Abaray said.
Since the code was adopted, a total of four citations have been issued. The citations were filed against three apartments and one house, Abaray said.
Two councilmembers said they were pleased with the results of the ordinance.
“At least here in District 1, this ordinance is working exactly as intended,” Brookhaven City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Linley Jones said at the council work session. “I think it’s been a great benefit to the community.”
Councilmember Madeleine Simmons concurred.
“I agree,” Simmons said after Jones spoke. “I’ve been getting no complaints since this has gone into effect.”
In Atlanta, the short-term rental ordinance takes effect on March 1. Owners who advertise or lease short-term rentals without having applied for a permit by April 1 will be deemed in violation of the code, according to a description of the ordinance provided by City Planning.
Atlanta defines a short-term rental as a period of up to 30 consecutive days. The owner can rent the primary residence or an accessory dwelling unit. Owners must apply for a permit and pay a processing fee of $150.
The Atlanta City Council approved the ordinance on March 15, 2021. The council amended the ordinance on Dec. 6, 2021, at the behest of the administration of then-Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. The council voted for the amendment, and the ordinance now allows short-term rentals throughout the city, including commercial districts, industrial districts and landmark districts including Cabbagetown and Druid Hills.
The amendment was opposed by the city’s Neighborhood Planning Units and Zoning Review Board, according to the legislation, 21-O-0682. These two entities provide nonbinding recommendations to the city on land-use matters.
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