Metro Council's Recent Vote on Short-Term Rentals
Metro Council's most recent meeting was this past Tuesday (October 3rd). On the agenda, once again, was Bill BL2017-608, which proposes to phase out non-owner occupied short-term rentals. Following yet another long and spirited discussion, the Council narrowly voted to defer the bill until January.
The ad-hoc committee tasked with researching and reviewing the issue, in order to make a recommendation to the Council, has yet to finish their report. By January, their report should be completed and will hopefully steer a fairer revision of the bill.
Unfortunately, permits for non-owner occupied short-term rentals are not being issued until a determination is made regarding the bill. This "pause" on issuing permits has been in effect since the bill was first introduced in February.
Now's the time to call and email our council members to voice support of fair homesharing laws.
Don't worry about being wordy or eloquent. Short and succinct is always best! If you feel unsure of what to say, here are some ideas to get you started:
Who you are and why homesharing is important to you
Why Nashville residents should be able to share their homes
How homesharing helps local residents earn extra income to cover household bills and afford to live in our ever-increasingly expensive city
How homesharing brings visitors and business travelers to more neighborhoods, where they spend more of their money at local businesses
Why you want fair, common-sense regulations for short-term rentals in Nashville
Be polite, positive, and gracious, thanking them for their time and consideration. Always include your address at the end of your email, as it's crucial for council to know they are hearing from constituents.
Address your message to your district's council member, all at-large council members, and the Vice Mayor. All their contact information is available here ￫ You can also email all council members with this one email address ￫