Starting in July, city staff will be seeking feedback on regulations for short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs and VRBO properties. By the end of the year, there could be rules.
There are only 460 registered units and 265 "probable unregistered units" in the city of Alexandria, representing less than 1% of housing stock. The vast majority are single-family homes.
Airbnb and other short-term rental property websites automatically remit taxes to the city of Alexandria, and those tax revenues have been growing over the past few years. Short-term rental owners are required to register with the city on an annual basis.
Most complaints to the Alex311 line have involved trash and noise violations.
The questions city staff are seeking to answer in developing the new rules will be:
- How to balance the needs of operators and neighbors?
- How to promote/require responsible short-term rental practices?
- How to establish a better process for handling complaints?
More information about getting involved in the feedback process will be available in late June.
