Short-term rental crackdowns are underway in Newport News as the city has begun issuing citations to ensure operators are following city guidelines.
Newport News began issuing violation notices Sept. 1 to short-term rental operators who haven’t complied with the city’s regulations. The city sent initial warnings to 115 short-term rental operators in the city, and later issued 47 notices of violation to operators who had not addressed issues, according to city spokesperson Kimberly Bracy.
“That number represents an initial step, as we are aware that additional operators are active,” Bracy said in an emailed statement. “City staff remain actively engaged in enforcement and are working directly with those who have received notices of violations to ensure the violations are abated.”
Bracy added there are more suspected short-term rental operators in Newport News beyond the 115 that received initial warnings. Of those, 40 operators have since submitted applications and obtained permits, and 28 others were outdated listings or advertised stays of 30 days or longer.
The city gave operators until Aug. 1 to come into compliance, at which point operators still in violation would receive a 30-day notice followed by a revocation of their short-term rental permit and a two-year ban from obtaining new zoning certificates.
In most cases, Bracy said the issue is that short-term rental operators have not obtained proper zoning permitting, so there is nothing to revoke. In that case, the city pursues the matter through court summons. The city may revoke an operator’s permit when there are three or more violations within a year, the operator doesn’t comply with regulations or refuses to cooperate with the city in a complaint.
Bracy said the violations have not been concentrated to any particular corridor in Newport News. Additionally, the city is partnering with short-term rental compliance company Granicus, which has worked with other localities across Hampton Roads, to support its compliance efforts. The city is still establishing the terms of the agreement and was unable to say how much it would cost.
Newport News City Council began allowing short-term rentals in 2022 following the rise in apps such as Airbnb and Vrbo. The ordinance established guidelines including maximum occupancies, capping bedroom occupancy at two people and requiring the owner to live at the property for more than half the year.
Several short-term rental operators spoke out against the regulations when they passed. However, Mayor Phillip Jones previously said those regulations were not meant to be enforced and were intended to act more as guidelines. That was until a recent shooting at a short-term rental property prompted the council to pass an ordinance to begin enforcing its guidelines.
Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany said in a statement the city has already seen strong compliance with short-term rental regulations, and the council is committed to supporting ongoing enforcement of the ordinance while continuing to engage with property owners and residents to see where further improvements can be made to the regulations.
“City Council will continue monitoring the effectiveness of these guidelines — tracking permit compliance, neighborhood feedback, and enforcement metrics,” Bethany said in a statement. “Our goal is a balanced environment in which both residents and responsible hosts can thrive.”
Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037, devlin.epding@virginiamedia.com
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