~ from the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods 

Vice Mayor Duane Grieve, who represents Council District 2 in west Knoxville, will offer several amendments to the proposed short-term rental (STR) ordinance at tonight’s meeting of Knoxville City Council.

The proposed ordinance — drafted by the City Administration following numerous public meetings over the last year — would balance a number of competing interests by permitting and regulating rentals of less than 30 days, such as those arranged through online platforms like Airbnb and Vacation Rentals by Owner.

Grieve signaled his intentions this morning with this post (https://knoxvilletn.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c225da2437ec3f6b734edf0b&id=e20134a39d&e=bba8e6ddac) on the City Council forum. In the post, Grieve suggests these five amendments:

1) Exclude R-1 and R-1E as zoning districts where short-term rentals are allowed.

2) Fix the maximum number of renters or “transients” in a rental unit to four rather than the 12 specified in the proposed ordinance.

3) Require that the owner of any STR remain onsite during the occupancy.

4) If off-street parking exists at a STR unit, the owner and guests must use those spaces during occupancy “except for occasional errands or occupational obligations.”

5) Within 48-72 hours of submitting an application for a Type 1 STR operating permit, the owner must notify adjacent property owners and the neighborhood association of the application, and must post a sign “in a conspicuous location in the front yard of the proposed Short Term Rental Unit.”