Global short-term rental company urges Greenville to reconsider development code

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The Greenville City Council has approved a new development code proposed by Greenville’s Planning Department — a code that will continue to include rules on short-term rentals when it becomes effective July 15.

Airbnb, meanwhile, is pushing cities to treat short-term rentals policy as a stand-alone set of rules.

Councilwoman Dorothy Dowe said under the current land management ordinance, short-term rentals, which include Airbnbs, are permissible in the central business district and only by special exception in other areas within the Greenville city limits.

Anyone currently operating a short-term rental outside of the central business district without a special exception granted by the board of zoning appeals, is already in violation of the city’s existing code, she added. However, if a special exception has been approved by the board of zoning, the property owner may continue to operate the short-term rental under the new code as a vested right.

“There has been tremendous community support for the removal of provisions for STRs (short-term rentals) through special exception, and that is why it was eliminated in the new Greenville Development Code,” said Dowe.

“I support this change to how we currently allow STRs, because I believe this is part of our responsibility to protect the quality of life for our neighbors throughout the city,” Dowe said. “Under the new code, a property owner has the right to rent the property for longer than 30 days and there is certainly a demand for this in our community.

This fits the description of a roommate and is permissible under the new code, she added. Additionally, short-term rentals are permitted in new code as they were before, as well as in Greenville’s mixed-use districts throughout the city.

Airbnb sent a press release to news outlets in the Greenville area calling on city council to separate short-term rental regulations from the development code.

“Hosts in Greenville rely on the supplemental income from home sharing to make ends meet and offset the increased cost of living,” said Joey Planz, Airbnb public policy associate. “Airbnb and our hosts want to partner with the city of Greenville to create balanced rules that address issues raised by the community while protecting the economic benefits of home sharing. We urge the mayor and city council to separate the short-term rental ordinance from the zoning code and to consider feedback from hosts on the proposed ordinance.”

According to a survey of South Carolina Airbnb hosts from July 2022 to December 2022:

• More than 35% report that they use their earnings from Airbnb to help pay for food and other basic necessities that have become more expensive
• Nearly 30% of hosts also said hosting on Airbnb has allowed them to stay in their home
• Approximately 62% of hosts who self-report their gender are women and about 23% of hosts self-report they are over the age of 60

Last year, Greenville Airbnb hosts collectively earned nearly $9 million, and the typical host earned approximately $13,000, according to Airbnb.

“Hosting on Airbnb has provided me with essential supplemental income while I’m in the start-up phase of my business,” said Greenville resident Esther Wilkison. “Many of the guests who choose to stay with me are visiting Greenville to explore the area and the possibility of living here. This brings economic benefits into the city and to the businesses that rely on the tourism economy. I hope the city council considers how Airbnb is a lifeline for many hosts, and these strict regulations may cause us to lose the opportunity to share all the good that Greenville has to offer.”

Greenville resident and Airbnb host Linda Goulart said the additional income she earns from sharing her home on Airbnb has helped her afford the higher cost of living and taxes in Greenville.

“As short-term rental hosts, we provide an affordable option for visitors traveling to our city for work and internships, relocation and recreational reasons,” said Goulart. “I urge the city council to recognize the importance of offering multiple lodging options for visitors and residents, and to refrain from prohibiting hosts like me from sharing my home.”

Airbnb was founded in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home and has since grown to more than 4 million hosts who have welcomed 1.4 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe, according to Airbnb.