City mailing postcards about proposed zoning for short-term rentals

May 2, 2024 - Every property owner in the city will receive a postcard that says their property is being considered for a zoning map change. Don't be alarmed, says Community Development Director Bonnie Brown. The proposed change would create overlay zones that will only affect where short-term rentals (STRs) can operate and won't change the basic zoning of your property.

If approved, the change will divide the city into 51 zones. Within each zone, the current proposal would allow only 1% of the residences to be short-term rentals. Separation distances are also proposed to keep the rentals 500 feet apart, unless they are side-by-side. That requirement is designed to limit the impact on neighborhoods so that the rental businesses would not overwhelm a street or block.

The city is required to notify property owners if there is a proposal to change the zoning map, which is the reason the postcards were mailed out.

Read more about the proposal to regulate properties used for AirBNB and VRBO at hampton.gov/strs.