Metro Nashville Hires California Company To Take Short-Term Rental Complaints

NASHVILLE, TN — The Sturm und Drang over short-term rental properties in Nashville is unlikely to abate any time soon as the Metro Council wrangles with ways to regulate properties available through services like AirBnB without attracting the ire of the state legislature or yet another lawsuit, while neighbors continue to raise concerns about living next to what often end up as party houses and hangover hotels for honky-tonking visitors.

Metro Government has contracted with San Francisco-based Host Compliance, which describes itself as "the leading provider of short-term rental compliance monitoring and enforcement solutions to local governments," to operate an around-the-clock complaint hotline.

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“Short-term rentals, as originally intended, can be a great way for responsible visitors to experience our city while helping individuals and families earn a little extra cash when they are away from home,” said Mayor Megan Barry in a statement. “Our hope is that this hotline will make it easier to identify and track down irresponsible property owners who are operating illegally or who fail to address the quality of life concerns for residents in the neighborhood where STRPs are operating.”

Complaints are to be directed to the hotline at (435) STR-HELP (787-4357) or may be filed online.

Among the services offered by Host Compliance with its hotline service are:

• Full documentation of all reported incidents
• Real-time outreach to owners of problem properties (whenever owner’s contact info is known)
• Weekly staff reports containing list of properties for which incidents have been reported and the number and types of reported incidents

The goal, according to the company, is to resolve non-emergency complaints without involving law enforcement.

“Regulations can often seem meaningless without proper enforcement, and this tool provided by Host Compliance will make it easier to enforce the laws on our books,” said District 18 Councilmember Burkley Allen. “This service will help responsible STRP owners to better monitor the activity at their home when they are away and give Metro the evidence and tools necessary to shut down nuisance operators and those without a permit.”

Non-owner-occupied STRPs have been a particular concern in many neighborhoods, especially in East Nashville, where blocks are often inundated with homes that have been purchased by out-of-towners to use as STRPs for other out-of-towners and are often administered by out-of-town property management groups.

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