AFFORDABLE HOUSING

11/12/2019 6:47pm

Celie Richardson, lawyer for local condominium owner Eric Plow, stands in front of Plow's property on Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. "We are very perplexed as to why the town is trying to place regulations that would shut this complex down; we hope they don't," Richardson said.

Extra income or a neighborhood nuisance? How Chapel Hill grapples with Airbnbs

By Brittany McGee

“Any new Chapel Hill regulations will affect not only those property owners who use the STR system for profit, but also residents like us for whom the system simply makes it possible to plan for the future." Following multiple other cities, including Raleigh, Chapel Hill's Short-Term Rental Task Force will be recommending regulations on short-term rentals, like Airbnb, to the Town Council. Chapel Hill residents have mixed opinions on short-term rentals as some think they are beneficial for the Town and some do not.

Editors Picks

4/8/2019 8:30pm

DTH photo illustration. Airbnb provides 20 percent of all visitor stays in Chapel Hill as it leads the short-term rental (STR) market in Orange County. Around 290 Airbnbs remain in Chapel Hill, which could threaten affordable housing by taking away rental properties and raising the price of rent.

Will there be regulations on Airbnbs in the near future?

By Sophia Wilhelm

Short-term rentals are a growing industry throughout the nation, and Orange County is no exception. With almost 300 active Airbnbs and HomeAways in Chapel Hill, Town officials discuss the consequences of the increasing presence of short-term rentals. Legislators discuss the possibility of putting a cap on the number of short-term rentals in an area and requiring permits for these homeowners. They also talk about adding regulations on the number of renters, noise ordinance, partying, parking, insurance requirements and health and safety.