The state of Savannah's shareconomy

From Airbnb to Uber, the so-called sharing economy is thriving. So why is the Hostess City so slow to join the movement?

By: 

Julia Ritchey

In the not-so-distant past, traveling on the cheap meant staying at a seedy roadside motel and deciphering cryptic bus schedules in whatever metropolis you happened to be visiting. Not anymore.

Welcome to 2015, where sharing is caring and smartphone apps allow the average Joe or Jolene to lend or borrow everything from cars to spare bedrooms to clothes to toilets — more on that later.

Called by many names — the shareconomy to some, the on-demand economy to others — its tenets are simple: if you’ve got something people want, rent it out.

In the last two years alone, Savannah has experienced growth in shareconomics. In any given search, at least 150 rooms are listed on vacation rental site Airbnb, and ride-sharing service Uber even did a trial run during St. Patrick’s Day last year, although it has yet to launch full service.

As city officials struggle with using antiquated zoning laws to craft policies to accommodate these new technology-based activities, the question remains: Is Savannah ready for a full-blown shareconomy?

Airbnb

Website Airbnb hit a milestone in the last week after Barclays released a report suggesting its bookings could outpace the largest hotel companies within a few years. The website already boasts more rooms than the largest hotel groups despite legal challenges from cities big and small.

That fight has been acute in the Historic District after the City Council passed a short-term vacation rental zoning ordinance, effective Jan. 1, that puts a host of new restrictions and rules in place for those wanting to rent out entire houses.

The ordinance does not, however, add much guidance for those who just want to rent out a bedroom. Currently regulated under the prim description of “Bed & Breakfast Guest Units,” depending on where a person lives determines whether they can list their spare air mattress on Airbnb.

Savannah resident Susan Trimble lives on 66th Street just east of Bull. In her seven months on Airbnb, she’s hosted more than 100 people from 22 countries, charging them a modest $55 a night for a sunlight-filled spare room with a bookshelf filled with Savannah guide books.

“I had gotten a severe case of shingles and neuralgia and was housebound for three months,” she said. “I had heard from other people who did this in their home, so I thought it would be a great way to earn some income and stay at home.”

Not only did she love the interaction, but she was able to hire a landscaper to improve her front lawn and put on a screen door.

Then in December 2013, Trimble was netted in a citywide crackdown on illegal vacation rentals. She still had reservations booked through May, which she accommodated to avoid bad online reviews, and she was subsequently fined $1,300 by the Hostess City for her hosting.

Trimble has no beef with the city, but she is asking city staff for a text amendment allowing her to continue her Airbnb operation. Her request is pending review — a similar amendment for just the Cuyler-Brownville neighborhood was shot down by City Council just last year.

If it doesn’t pass, Trimble said, she may consider moving to another part of the city that does allow it.

Right now, those living in residential neighborhoods are forbidden from renting on a short-term basis but can rent for 30 days or more. Airbnb supporters argue that allowing people to stay a month or longer is far more intrusive to neighborhoods than hosting a few European backpackers on the weekend.

“Owner-occupied single-unit rentals are not a commercial venture,” said Rabbi Arnold Belzer, an Airbnb supporter who lives in Ardsley Park. “Why? Hospitality in the world is a religious imperative in all Abrahamic and Eastern religions. Hospitality is not suggested; it’s commanded.”

Nor does hospitality mean giving away services for free, he said.

Belzer was also sent a cease-and-desist order from the city for his Airbnb activity in a residential neighborhood. His listing, dubbed “Georgia Colonial with pool and spa,” rents for $105 a night and has received more than 100 five-star reviews.

Belzer, who’s contesting the ruling in court, said he’s hosted hundreds of people in his home over the years before Airbnb, not always for compensation. He, too, has never heard complaints from neighbors.

“We’re not doing it for money. We’re doing it for stimulation,” he said. “I crave meeting new people and serving people around me.”

In fact, certain residential districts do permit, with Zoning Board of Appeals approval, a host of home occupations, including adult and child day care centers and private schools.

City staff and City Council, however, have suggested residential neighborhoods should be kept free from commercial activities.

Earlier this week, Alderwoman Mary Ellen Sprague said the majority of constituents she’s heard from are opposed to Airbnb in residential neighborhoods.

“They want a stable neighborhood, and that does not promote a stable neighborhood,” she said.

Yet each time an Airbnb petition has been heard before the Metropolitan Planning Commission board, a recommending body, its members have voiced support for the idea. Commissioners such as Adam Ragsdale and former member Ben Farmer say the service is a relatively benign use compared to a whole-house rental.

The mixed signals coming from the MPC and City Council may reflect just how green this territory is for policymakers.

“Every city is wrestling with this problem,” Sprague said.

Trimble believes it’s a case of people misunderstanding the peer-to-peer model.

“I think it’s a combination of pressure from the hotels and then when the residents hear about it, the homeowners associations,” she said. “They really don’t know what it’s about too much; it’s based on fear.”

Trimble said she talked to her eight closest neighbors and got positive feedback for her operation, but she’s unsure whether it will be enough to persuade the elected bodies.

If Trimble’s amendment comes before council again, Sprague said, she would vote no.

This was in The Savannah Sunday Paper and the word needs to get out about how backwards our local government is.Yes this is SlowVannah! We did Airbnb and was part of the shut down and continue to be harassed by Geoff Goins of Zoning! to this day. And Rabi Belzer  in the article is our Neighbor across the street and is doing the fight for all of us that wanted to do this! It does NOT have a impact on the Neighborhood  
As for Alderwoman Mary Ellen Sprague..... what a joke!!! her and all the city people involved in this tend to go by the McCarthyism rule!!
for those who have not heard the term ... McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence! Mary Ellen Sprague and Geoff Goins group is very good with that, they tell you they have had complaints, but when you ask who they are unable to provide that info or it is a very vague answer! We called to talk with Mary Ellen Sprague and left messages. she never called us back either time! but yet she claims to work so hard for her district. She works for what is going to benefit her!  We spoke with all our Neighbors regarding Airbnb  and most of them were not even aware we were doing it. but yet these people keep screaming Impacted! What Impact??? most times they come with 1 car (sometime no car they arrive by taxi.) 2 people and lots of cash to spend in the city! some impact!!!  I am sure there have been  problems but very minimal. and need to be dealt with on a 1 to 1 basis!  People that do Ebay selling from their homes cause more Impact. I have one car parked out in front of my house with Airbnb, while Ebay guy has commercial vehicles coming and going many times a week picking up and delivering goods. but this is ok? The people of this local government need to get into the real world and stop harassing its residents that are trying to promote the city of Savannah and work on stopping the crime and shooting that continue to grow in this city or they are going to destroy our tourist industry because of their stupidity! Oh and to you Mary Ellen  when you vote No guess what when your re-election comes up we plan to vote no on you!  Just my thoughts! Have a great week!