BY MIKE FUHRMAN
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday delayed a vote on a proposal to begin regulating short-term rental properties in unincorporated areas of the county.
Under proposed changes to the Iredell County Land Development Code, the county would require property owners who rent homes for less than 90 days to apply for a permit from the county.
Requirements in the proposed regulations include:
♦ Only one short-term rental shall be permitted per approved Dwelling Unit. A short-term rental may be permitted in an Accessory Dwelling Unit. When a main building, as the primary dwelling unit, is used as a short-term rental, an accessory dwelling unit may also be used as part of the short-term rental only when rented as one unit to the same party.
♦ The occupancy shall not exceed two persons per bedroom, plus two additional persons. Bedrooms used and advertised shall match the most recent Iredell County tax records for the subject property. The maximum occupancy shall be posted prominently with the short-term rental; the property owner shall ensure that all online listings and advertisements set forth the maximum number of guests.
♦ A minimum of one off-street parking space for each bedroom is required. No street parking shall be allowed. All parking shall be entirely on-site, in the garage, driveway or otherwise out of the road right-of-way.
♦ All short-term rentals shall have a contact available 24 hours a day to respond to any questions, complaints or other issues that may arise. The contact name and phone number shall be permanently posted on the outside of the rental unit in a prominent location at driveway entrance not to exceed 3 square feet. Any changes shall be promptly updated and reposted.
♦ Short-term rentals shall not be advertised or used to hold special events. Any large gatherings that exceed the occupancy limits of the zoning permit including but not limited to weddings, parties, reunions or other large gatherings, are prohibited.
♦ The property owner shall not make the short-term rental available to short-term rental guests for a period of less than overnight.
Repeat violators would be subject to fines and revocation of their short-term rental permit. The proposal was developed by county staff, at the direction of county commissioners, as the result of complaints the county has received about short-term rentals. These properties are located predominantly around Lake Norman.
During a public hearing on the proposal, several residents expressed their support, saying regulations were needed to protect their quality of life and the water quality of the lake.
“We, the residents, deserve to be protected,” one woman told the commissioners. “You are our first defense.”
Representatives of several companies that manage short-term rentals in the Lake Norman area told commissioners that they were committed to helping property owners self-police issues related to these properties.
A very small percentage of renters does not follow rules related to household occupancy, loud noise and other issues, the management companies said.
In the past eight years, Stay Lake Norman has booked more than 62,000 stays, CEO Lawrie Lawrence said, and a total of 12 renters had been evicted for parties during that time.
His company has implemented policies to further reduce the number of non-compliant renters, and he urged commissioners not to limit the number of guests in the short-term rentals.
“The fix is not reducing occupancy,” Lawrence said. “It’s just going to make things worse.”
Commissioners Brad Stroud and Scottie Brown voiced their support for the proposal, but acknowledged that it was not perfect.
“If y’all are doing a good job, you don’t have anything to worry about,” Brown told the representatives of the property rental firms. “I care about the people that live right here. I’m going to protect them.”
Commissioner Gene Houpe asked commissioners to postpone voting on the proposal to allow time to consider the issues raised during Tuesday’s public hearing.
“I’d rather measure twice and cut once,” Houpe told the other commissioners. “I want to get it right.”
Commissioners will discuss possible changes to the proposal during the retreat next week. A final vote is planned for October 17.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
♦ The board adopted the 2025 Transportation Program funding request presented by ICATS Director Bradley Johnson. ICATS is seeking grants totaling $2,102,903 with a local match of $716,750to provide Administrative, Operating, and Capital funds to ICATS transit operation.
♦ Commissioners awarded a $1,174,539 bid to Nomad GCS for the purchase or a new Mobile Command Unit for the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. The ICSO received a $1 million grant for the vehicle from the States of North Carolina.
♦ The board approved a request from Iredell-Statesville Schools for $5 million to pay for the design fees for a new elementary school with any remaining funds being rolled back into construction cost.
♦ Commissioners approved a request from Josh Johnson, owner of Johnson’s Modern Electric Company Inc. to rezone approximately 4.07acres along Perth Road so it can be used as a satellite electrical contractor’s facility.