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Brookhaven staff propose tougher short-term rental rules, urge residents to use Brookhaven Connect and 911 for enforcement
Summary
City staff proposed a text amendment tightening short-term rental definitions, third-party vendor accountability and enforcement procedures; staff said roughly 24 active short-term rentals are on record and described ongoing enforcement cases and verification steps such as homestead exemptions and occupant affidavits.
Brookhaven staff introduced a proposed text amendment to tighten rules and enforcement around short-term rentals, aiming to capture tax revenue, close enforcement loopholes and limit commercial uses of single-family properties.
Staff said the revision focuses on clearer definitions, stronger third-party platform accountability and improved application screening. "We have, what, 24 24 active short term rentals in the city," staff stated while explaining enforcement challenges and recent legal actions against at least one operator believed to be operating illegally.
The proposal clarifies allowable uses: a short-term rental permit is for lodging similar to a hotel, not for commercial uses such as film studios or repeated pool rentals. Staff said minor interior film shoots that meet specific safety criteria can proceed without a permit, but large or commercial film operations would not qualify.
On enforcement, staff urged residents to document issues using Brookhaven Connect during business hours and to call 911 for after-hours incidents so police can create evidence that supports code-enforcement follow-up. Staff described measures to verify owner-occupancy in the application process, including requiring homestead-exemption status and signing an affidavit intended to close common loopholes.
Staff also gave examples of enforcement challenges: a recently litigated operator continued to rent after the city’s ordinance passed, and one resident was renting a pool through a third-party app (Swimply), prompting staff to say they will review whether additional rules or enforcement steps are required.
No formal ordinance vote occurred at the work session. Staff said they will revise the application and draft text-amendment language to present at a later meeting for the public-review process.
