Southwest Virginia communities grapple with home-sharing regulations

The growing industry brings safety, traffic concerns for some

ROANOKE, Va. – Communities across Southwest Virginia continue to work to figure out how to regulate the home-sharing industry in their areas.

Sites such as Airbnb and Homestay have made it easier for people to open up their homes to travelers and guests. Nico Wood, who lives in South Roanoke, operated an Airbnb out of his home until he learned he needed a permit to continue to operate legally.

"We got a letter in the mail that said, 'Hey, you can't do this. You have to have a permit,'" Wood said.

Wood said he immediately stopped accepting Airbnb reservations and started the process of getting a permit.

"This is a legal business and I want to be completely legal," Wood said. "So I'm paying taxes and doing this the right way."

Wood says he and his wife enjoy hosting people through Airbnb because they get to meet new people and introduce guests to the Roanoke area.

"You get to know the community," Wood said. "You're generally staying in a really safe area and you get to know 'Why do people live here? What brings people to this area?'"

Ten News found hundreds of Airbnb listings for Southwest Virginia.

Last year, the state passed legislation giving local governments more power to regulate short-term rentals.

Roanoke, Lynchburg and Blacksburg have all taken steps to do that.

The city of Roanoke requires those in residential areas that require zoning changes to operate an Airbnb out of their home to apply for a special exception from the city, and then comply with other conditions the city has set.

Roanoke's zoning administrator said the Board of Zoning Appeals received 12 homestay applications in 2017. The Board approved 10 and denied one. The other application was withdrawn.

"We monitor the housing platforms and once we’re able to locate the property, we notify them and let them know there’s a process they need to go through," said Jillian Moore, zoning administrator for the City of Roanoke.

Opponents of having an Airbnb in their neighborhood spoke at Wednesday's Board of Zoning Appeals hearing. They expressed concerns about safety and increased traffic.

"I live here, my wife lives here, my dogs live here," Wood said. "This is our family home. If I'm going to let someone into my home, I'm definitely going to make sure this is somebody I want here."

The board denied Wood's homestay application. He said he plans to appeal the decision.