PLEASE SIGN PETITION: Make short-term home rentals (i.e. Airbnb) legal in Raleigh with reasonable regulations

UPDATE, NOVEMBER 21, 2017
The slightly modified ordinance from the Raleigh Short Term Rental Task Force was shot down by the Raleigh City Council today.
Those voting for short-term rentals: McFarlane, Baldwin, Gaylord
Those opposing short-term rentals: Crowder, Stephenson, Thompson, Cox
One absent member: Branch.
https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2017/11/21/again-raleigh-fails-to-pass-airbnb-vrbo.html
UPDATE, NOVEMBER 19, 2017
In a surprise move, the Raleigh City Council will vote on short-term rentals this Tuesday afternoon (November 21):
* This is the last meeting of the current City Council before the newly-elected City Council is sworn in.
* We believe that if all City Council members and the Mayor attend the meeting, the short-term rental ordinance will pass with 5 votes in support, and 3 votes opposed.
Here's the bad news:
* One City Council member, Corey Branch who represents District C, has said that he will not attend and will not call in to vote because of Thanksgiving family travel.
* If Councilor Branch does not vote, the ordinance will probably die and we will probably go into a 4th year without any resolution.
We need your help - here's what we need you to do ASAP:
1. Send Councilor Branch a very short, polite email at corey.branch@raleighnc.gov and:
* Urge him to do the right thing - to call in and vote!
* Urge him to vote YES on Short-Term Rentals!
* Tell him your address, especially if you live in his district!
* Click here to see map of all Raleigh City Council districts
* CC the rest of the City Council (including the Mayor) at CityCouncilMembers@raleighnc.gov
2. Use social media to publicly post a message to Councilor Branch urging him to call in and vote:
Twitter: @Corey4DistrictC
Please include these hashtags/handles:
#VoteCoreyVote
@share_raleigh
#RalAirbnb
Facebook: @CoreyBranchforDistrictC
Please include these hashtags/handles:
#VoteCoreyVote
@ShareRaleigh
#RalAirbnb
3. Share this info by email and through social media with all your friends, and please share this info with anyone you know who uses short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO and loves it.
4. Come show your support at the City Council meeting:
Tuesday, November 21 starting at 1 pm:
But we warned, it could be a long wait.
222 W. Hargett St.
Downtown Raleigh

UPDATE, JUNE 6 2017
The City Council voted on the Task Force ordinance today.

According to the NEWS & OBSERVER: "Rather than vote on the proposal, the City Council voted to send it to the Economic Development and Innovation Committee, led by Mayor Nancy McFarlane.

The vote comes almost exactly a year after the council sent a different set of short-term rental regulations to the same committee. That was on June 7, 2016, after the council failed to adopt rules in a 4-4 vote."
See full text of N&O story here

UPDATE, MAY 18 2017
At the Task Force meeting tonight, "Option B" and the rest of the Task Force ordinance won enough votes to move to the City Council on June 6.

But we still need to win a majority of votes from the City Council...so we still have to make it obvious to the City Council that Raleigh supports the Task Force ordinance including the very controversial "Option B."

For that reason, please keep sharing this petition...by sending it to friends and family and asking them to sign it.

***ORIGINAL "OPTION B" PETITION TEXT***

HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS:
The Raleigh Short Term Rental Task Force has agreed to vote to allow all forms of short-term rentals in Raleigh as long as the dwelling is the primary residence of the owner or a manager - in other words, the owner or a manager lives there at least six months + a day every year (now called “Type I” & “Type II” rentals).

BUT HERE'S THE BAD NEWS:
Any short-term rental in a residential district which is NOT occupied by the owner or a manager (now called “Type III” rentals) for at least at least six months + a day every year is at risk of being voted permanently illegal.

THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS TO ALLOW TYPE III RENTALS IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, INCLUDING:
* Neighbors see short-term rentals as good for resale value
* A neighbor might want to rent out his or her own house as a short-term rental in the future, ie after retiring and downsizing to a smaller home
* Neighbors might use short-term rentals when they travel, and they want visitors to Raleigh to have the same wide range of options.
* Neighbors have seen that short-term rentals in their neighborhood are better maintained than long-term rentals, because financial incentives for short-term vs. long-term rental owners are different and often much better.

THOSE WHO OPPOSE TYPE III RENTALS IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS MOST COMMONLY CITE THE FOLLOWING THREE CONCERNS:
1. Transients in their neighborhoods
2. Investors buying up large numbers of homes to use as short-term rentals
3. They see Type III short-term rentals as businesses and they don’t want businesses in residential districts.

WITH RESPECT TO THE CONCERNS OF THOSE WHO OPPOSE TYPE III RENTALS IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS:
1. TRANSIENTS: There’s no evidence that Type III rentals in Raleigh are a problem; in fact, there are about 500 short-term rentals in Raleigh and there have only been 15 complaints over the past 5 years.
2. INVESTORS: There’s no evidence that this is occurring in any large-scale way in Raleigh; Option B below (which we ask you to support) is designed to prevent it from happening.
3. TYPE III SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS BUSINESSES: This concern ignores the fact that long-term rentals, which are prevalent throughout all residential districts of Raleigh, are also businesses.

WHAT OPPONENTS TO "TYPE III" RENTALS IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS FAIL TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT SHORT-TERM RENTALS CAN BE A GREAT BRANDING ENGINE FOR RALEIGH...or a negative for the Raleigh brand if handled badly.

ON THURSDAY MAY 18 2017, THE RALEIGH SHORT-TERM TASK FORCE WILL VOTE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THESE TWO VERY DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR “TYPE III” SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS (also see attached if you want to see full text of proposed ordinance as it relates to “Type I,” “Type II” and “Type III” short-term rentals):

OPTION A. This version of the ordinance would permit Type I and Type II rentals, as has previously been discussed. This version of the ordinance would allow Type III rentals only in the mixed use districts and not in residential districts. I was asked to clarify that the standards listed in section E.2 (“Use Standards Applicable to all Types”) would apply to Type III rentals in mixed use districts.
See full text of Ordinance with Option A

OPTION B. This version of the ordinance would permit Type I and Type II rentals, as has previously been discussed. This version of the ordinance would allow Type III rentals only in the mixed use districts and not in residential districts. This ordinance contains a new section that would allow any current Type III operator to approach the city for the purpose of notifying the city of the presence of the Type III rental in a residential district. The city would continue to extend compliance times for the Type III rentals for a period of one year. At the end of this one year period, the City Council could reevaluate the Type III rentals based on any feedback or violations received against the units.
See full text of Ordinance with Option B

UPDATE: JANUARY 2017
In October 2016, the Raleigh City Council voted to form a Task Force to study short-term rentals in Raleigh and to come back to the City Council with long-term recommendations. This Task Force met for the first time on January 12 2017 and it will hold meetings every other Thursday evening at the Raleigh Municipal Building at 222 W. Hargett Street until it has completed its mission.

We still need to hear from you while the Task Force meets, so please sign this petition and share it with your friends and family.

ORIGINAL PETITION TEXT:
Since December 2014, more than 500 short-term rentals have operated unregulated within the City, generating only seven complaints (several of those complaints were registered against one property, at least one complaint was unfounded). We believe this demonstrates that short-term rentals are not a threat to neighborhoods. Rather, they provide diverse lodging options for individuals, couples and families who attend such events as the International Bluegrass Music Association Festival, relocate to Raleigh for a job, or help businesses and their employees during a company relocation.

We acknowledge concerns so we support reasonable regulations to protect citizens and everyone's property rights. As a city of innovation, we request that the City Council form a task-force of stakeholders to seek out a positive, strategic and creative solution that addresses short-term rental issues in a way that powerfully demonstrates to the business community, tourists and the media that Raleigh is a 21st century city that welcomes and embraces new ideas, cutting-edge technologies, new ways of doing business and the sharing economy.