MATTHEWS, N.C. — People living in Matthews have brought up concerns for months now about homes in their neighborhoods operating as Airbnbs.
Now, town leaders have heard these concerns and are working to find a solution.
“The people that bought that house have an Airbnb and it’s been a nightmare," Matthews resident Patricia Robinson said in an interview with WCNC Charlotte in February.
She said she presented a petition to town leaders.
It’s now two months later and the town’s planning director presented an update to the board of commissioners on Monday, with a list of changes that could be coming to the Matthews Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
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The presentation suggested the town’s UDO needs a definition for short-term rentals, and that the "Bed & Breakfast" section needs to be updated to include short-term rentals too.
Other changes were presented as well, addressing the need to create a standard going forward.
These changes wouldn’t actually affect any existing short-term rentals, though. According to the planning director, Jay Camp, it would only regulate new ones that are established in Matthews in the future.
So for Matthews residents who are upset about what's happening in their neighborhoods, commissioners say their hands are tied.
With these new changes to the UDO, people in Matthews would be able to make nuisance or criminal complaints about existing short-term rentals, but there would be no actual zoning violation.
Right now, the changes are just a rough draft. They’ll be presented officially in June with a public hearing in July.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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