Columbia City Council has placed a temporary ban on new short-term rental permits for a year following a deadly shooting.
COLUMBIA, S.C. โ A series of pending bills at the State House would impact any city or county that wants to restrict short-term rentals, amid a proposed ban.
Columbia City Council has approved a temporary ban on issuing new short-term rental permits following a deadly shooting at an Airbnb on Lincoln Street earlier this month.
The moratorium, which received its second reading Tuesday night, will remain in place for one year. City officials say the move is aimed at giving them time to review existing regulations and address concerns from neighbors about safety and quality-of-life issues tied to short-term rentals.
Robbie Birnie, Vice-President of the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association, says the issue extends beyond the recent violence.
“I don’t think any of us signed up to live in a hotel district, and that’s effectively what an Airbnb is,” Birnie said. โWeโve had ongoing issues with trash, loitering, noise complaints, parking, and a lack of accountability from the property owners and managers.โ
While Columbia tightens local rules, lawmakers at the State House are weighing whether South Carolina should adopt a uniform, statewide policy. Currently, there is no state law regulating short-term rentals, but multiple bills have been filed this year.
One proposal, filed by Rep. Lee Hewitt, R-Georgetown, would prohibit cities and counties from banning short-term rentals altogether. Municipalities that do could risk losing state funding. A separate bill sponsored by Hewitt would create statewide guidelines, mirroring some of Columbiaโs current rules.
โItโs like everything, one or two percent of the people cause problems for the 98% who are doing the right thing,โ Hewitt said.
Under his legislation, owners with three or more short-term rentals would be required to obtain a real estate or property management license. Other provisions include rules for parking, occupancy, and requiring a contact person to be available within 15 to 20 minutes of each property.
โIf you have short-term rentals, there should be some way to regulate them, not ban them,โ Hewitt said.
Columbiaโs moratorium could be impacted by any statewide measures lawmakers approve when they return to session in January.
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