Columbia council reviews tighter short-term rental rules, staff asks for more enforcement staff and tech

City of Columbia officials discussed proposed changes to the city—s short-term rental (STR) ordinance and enforcement approach at a city council meeting, with code enforcement and the city attorney outlining rule changes and staff asking for new enforcement positions and software upgrades.

David Hatcher, director of code enforcement, told council the division tracks 446 registered short-term rentals and a suspected 149 that are not registered. "We are extremely busy, and tend to be the go to department when somebody needs something done at the city," Hatcher said, describing routine inspections, abatement work and daily incident notifications from the police department.

Hatcher recommended adding one full-time staff member dedicated to STR enforcement plus two part-time positions for evenings and weekends, upgrading case-management software and evaluating alternative third-party STR data vendors. He also recommended a visible identifier for permitted STRs (a decal or sign) and closer coordination with online booking platforms so the city—s permit status is reflected in listings.

Why it matters: Staff told council that under the existing moratorium and enforcement posture, many properties are not in compliance and the department lacks the manpower to pursue daily summonses and other penalties. Hatcher said 345 of the 446 registered STRs would be ineligible for a permit under the proposed moratorium criteria he described, and owner-occupied units made up 81 of the 446…