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Easley debates expanding short-term rentals to residential zones; staff urges phased approach
Summary
Staff proposed allowing short-term rentals as a conditional use in residential zones to capture revenue and inspection oversight; commissioners debated enforcement capacity, measurement issues and neighborhood impacts before tempering expansion with ADU restrictions.
City planner Corey told commissioners the proposal would extend short-term rentals (defined in the packet as stays under 30 days) beyond the core commercial district as a conditional use subject to business licensing, inspections and nuisance compliance. "If people are doing it illegally, which they are, we're missing out on that revenue," Corey said, describing a need to bring rentals into a licensed, inspected framework.
Commissioners questioned permit counts and enforcement capacity. Corey estimated 3–5 permits in the core commercial area and perhaps 10–15 STRs outside it; he also noted staff limitations and said the city is hiring a business license manager to improve compliance. Some members urged a slow, test-based rollout rather than immediate expansive change, stressing community impacts near Clemson and Greenville and the risk of investor-driven purchases.
The commission ultimately approved the packet with a language change and an amendment specifically preventing ADUs from being used as STRs, reflecting a compromise between controlled STR expansion and neighborhood protections.
