Hampton shares proposed zones for short-term rental regulation

Josh Janney, The Virginian-Pilot
Updated ·2 min read

Hampton is advancing a proposal to regulate short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, and limit their density.

The Hampton government is sending notices to every city property owner indicating their property is being considered for a zoning map change. But Community Development Director Bonnie Brown advises residents not to be alarmed, as the proposed change would create overlay zones that will only affect where short-term rentals can operate. It won’t change the basic zoning of a homeowner’s property.

The current plan is to divide the city into 51 zones, where, within each zone, only 1% of the residences could operate as short-term rentals. The city has created a map that shows the potential alignment of zoning districts and how many short-term rentals would be allowed in each zone.

The city also is proposing a separation distance requirement to keep the rentals 500 feet apart unless they are side-by-side. This requirement would limit the affect on neighborhoods so that rental businesses would not overwhelm a street or block.

Another proposed change is enabling an administrative permitting process, with a $200 application fee and $50 inspection fee. This would allow property owners who meet various requirements to obtain a permit without going through the expensive and timely process of having public hearings at planning commission and city council meetings.

For the past two years, regulating short-term rentals has been the subject of much debate in Hampton. The city previously estimated there are about 370 short-term rentals.

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In December 2022, the council took action to regulate short-term rental homes by requiring operators to have a use permit and a business license. The council also allowed more property owners to operate short-term rentals by removing a previous requirement that they were only allowed as an “accessory use” to a home that is primarily a residence.

But in 2023, the council faced an onslaught of use permit applications. The council approved 11 before ultimately deciding in August to pause any more applications until it had a better grasp on their impact on various areas. At the time of the pause, about 50 applications were pending.

When developing a plan to regulate density, city staff sought input from a group of stakeholders, including residents, short-term rental owners and managers, and real estate agents.

Residents who want to voice their opinions on the proposed changes can speak at a public hearing during the May 16 Planning Commission meeting at City Hall. City Council plans to hold a public hearing on June 12 at City Hall

For more information about the proposal to regulate short-term rentals, visit hampton.gov/strs.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com