Van Johnson was the guest speaker at a Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting on Nov. 29. He riffed conversationally about “recalibrating” tourism and downtown life and emphasized the importance of “livability” in Savannah.
Then Johnson reached the topic of short-term vacation rentals (STVRs), and the crowd of about 100 let out a muffled groan before laughing at the collective reaction.
"I just heard the moans," Johnson said back to the crowd.
Despite the city's oft-referenced STVR ordinance, which Johnson said was one of the most robust in the nation, the regulation of STVRs has remained a prominent concern in Savannah's north of Victory Drive neighborhoods. Regulation was a frequent topic on the campaign trail, and residents from downtown to Thomas Square say there are illegal STVRs operating in their neighborhoods.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Over the span of about two years, from January 2020 to July 2022, the City of Savannah dished out 41 code violations related to rentals. Many of the violations at the time were for STVRs operating without a permit.
The city has issued 64 violations in just over a year since July 2022, and the top violation remains illegal STVR use, according to records of code violations from July 2022 to November 2023.
“Unlicensed STVRs are rampant,” said David McDonald, president of DNA.
New solution looms
In light of these persistent concerns, the city has continued its regulation efforts. Savannah City Council approved in August a new software that can track illegal STVRs advertised online, which leaders say will help proactive enforcement of the city's code.
The new software, named Rentalscape, can scan the internet for STVR listings. City leaders say the feature will aid in identifying and cracking down on illegal STVRs by finding listings for units that are not permitted.
The current bulk of STVR enforcement comes from responding to complaints, said Cynthia Knight, senior director of code compliance. For example, an illegal STVR may be identified through poor renter conduct that gets reported to code compliance.
Rentalscape is set to be launched within the first few months of 2024, which will help code enforcement get ahead of illegal use, Knight said.
"From there we don't have to wait for the complaint to come in, and that is going to be a major change for us," Knight said.
Quality of life and city action
One former downtown resident, Gale Steves, moved from the area in part due to disturbances from STVRs: litter in her shrubbery and one instance of a 3 a.m. singing performance from a bachelorette party, Steves said.
Steves moved to Savannah from New York in 2001, and there were about 20 neighbors in her area at the time, she said. When Steves and her husband moved out in 2021, that number had dwindled into the single digits, Steves said.
"It sort of just crept up and without control," Steves said.
The number of registered STVRs in Savannah is now 1,646, which is an increase in 500 permits from nearly 1,200 reported by the Savannah Morning News in October 2017.
The need for STVR management has prompted a string of action by city government. An ordinance in 2017 established the ward cap, which prohibits more than 20% of residential parcels in a ward having registered STVRs.
An STVR overlay was created in 2019 to show where residential parcels within the Downtown Historic District are. Now, the city has a live map of registered STVRs across Savannah. The feature shows some blocks riddled with registered rentals. The 100 block of East Gaston Street, one block down from Steves’ former residence, has 25 registered STVR permits.
A majority of Savannah's wards are currently at their 20% cap. However, the cap does not apply to short-term rentals qualified as "owner occupied."
To qualify as owner occupied, an STVR applicant must provide proof of a valid homestead exemption, or a sworn affidavit and supporting documentation that includes two of the following: copy of a valid Georgia driver's license or Georgia identification card; copy of vehicle registration owned by the applicant; a copy of Chatham County voter's registration card; a copy of a previous W-2 form or an Internal Revenue Service Tax Return.
What qualifies as owner occupied is another sticking point for many residents, who say owner occupied should mean there is a person on site. But it remains one of the hardest elements to regulate and enforce, Johnson said.
"It is very hard to regulate presence," Johnson said.
Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah adding new tactic to crack down on 'rampant' non-permitted short-term rentals
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