Short-Term Rental Task Force

On September 20, 2021, the Brevard City Council adopted Resolution Number 2021-47 establishing the Short-Term Rental Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force is to obtain data on short-term rentals (STRs) in the City of Brevard, assess positive and negative impacts, and provide recommendations to City Council. Short-term rentals are defined, for the purposes of this Task Force, as private residential properties that are rented, either in whole or in part, for periods of less than 30 days for compensation. 

MEETINGS

• The Task Force is currently not meeting as recommendations have been made and forwarded to City Council. The Task Force will only resume meeting again if the recommendations are remanded back to them by Council. If the recommendations are adopted then the Task Force will be dissolved. 
• 11:00 AM
• 3rd Wednesday of each month 
• Council Chambers of City Hall
  95 West Main Street, Brevard
• Occasionally special-called meetings are held in addition to or in place of the regular monthly meetings.

Agendas and minutes can be found in the Agenda Center.

MEMBERSHIP

The membership of the Task Force was included in the establishing resolution and is updated by City Council as needed. The following is a list of the current Task Force members:

• Aaron Baker, Brevard City Council & Co-Chair
• Geraldine Dinkins, Brevard City Council & Co-Chair
• Issac Allen, White Squirrel Realty
• Hannah Bowers, Citizen
• Nory LeBrun, Chamber of Commerce
• Madeline Offen, Pisgah Legal Services
• Jeremy Owen, Beverly-Hanks Realty
• Dee Dee Perkins, Tourism Development Authority
• Tripp Presnell, Citizen
• Mack McKeller, City Attorney (ex-officio member)
• Aaron Bland, Assistant Planning Director (ex-officio member)

DATA GATHERING

One of the primary focuses of the Task Force is to gather data regarding STRs in Brevard, their impacts— both positive and negative— and the public's thoughts and concerns about them.

ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS

The Task Force commissioned an economic impact analysis of STRs in Brevard and Transylvania County after learning of a similar study done in Buncombe County. Key findings of the study include the following:

• STRs account for 5-6% of total housing units in Transylvania County.
• New housing supply has not kept up with housing demand.
• There is a positive but limited correlation between the STR market and local housing prices.

The full report can be downloaded below.

SURVEY

The task force has commissioned a representative survey of city residents. Five hundred addresses within the city limits were randomly selected, and a three-step process of inviting participation from a household member of those residences was completed. Participants were asked to complete a brief online survey with multiple-choice and short-answer questions about their experiences with short-term rentals in Brevard. 

Following the representative survey, the survey was opened up to the public at large. Both surveys are now closed. The reports can be downloaded below.

RECOMMENDATION

On June 15, 2023 the Task Force voted to recommend a draft amendment to the City's Unified Development Ordinance, specifically Sections 2.2 and 3.6.1.C, to update the regulations that pertain to short-term rentals. The recommended language is available for review in the Document Downloads section below.

The most significant changes are:

• Adding an exemption to the definition of STRs for rentals where a permanent resident lives on-site
• Eliminating STRs as an allowed use in the General Residential zoning district
• Adding STRs as an allowed use in the Corridor Mixed Use and Institutional Campus zoning districts
• Grandfathering in existing STRs
• Requiring a typical zoning permit before opening a new STR