First Three Short Term Rentals Approved in Harrisonburg
Scott P. Rogers
The City of Harrisonburg now regulates short term rentals -- and the first wave of applications have now made their way through the review process (City Staff, Planning Commission, City Council) and three properties have been approved by the City as short term rentals:
- 1451 Hillcrest Drive
- 341 South Willow Street
- 981 Summit Avenue
As context:
- Five owners applied for special use permits.
- City staff recommended approving two and denying three.
- Four of the five were reviewed by the planning commission.
- Only three were reviewed by City Council, and all three were approved.
You can read more about this topic as follows...
- Operating a Short Term Rental in the City of Harrisonburg
HarrisonburgHousingToday.com - May 6, 2019
- Glut of short-term rental applications could keep planning commission burning the midnight oil
The Citizen - May 31, 2019
- Council seeks to address housing crunch by creating new zone for smaller lots, approves first 3 Airbnb properties
The Citizen - June 12, 2019
As per the last article above...
"All three permits were approved with conditions, including that the properties be the primary residence of the owner-operator, the owner-operator be present while renting out the space, and the owner-operator file a form guaranteeing that the “accommodation spaces” meet certain safety requirements, such as a door or window for immediate emergency exit to the outside."
There are a pile of additional applications that will be reviewed over the next few months as we move towards August 1 when the enforcement of this new Short-Term Rental ordinance begins.
