The city of Decatur may soon permit short-term rentals within its city limits. The ordinance has been in development for a couple years, and city leaders say it’s intended to provide visitors with more options when they visit Decatur.
“With a lot of people that visit Decatur, whether it be for soccer tournaments, fishing tournaments, or corporate travel, they may be here for a more extended period where they would rather have that short-term rental as opposed to a traditional hotel stay,” said Kyle Pike, Decatur City Council President. “But I think one of the biggest things is we want to allow these to operate, but in a way that protects the character of our neighborhoods.”
If approved, there would be several rules in place for anyone looking to operate a short-term rental. For starters, there could only be three short-term rentals within a 1,000-foot radius in a residential area. That limit wouldn’t apply to commercial zones or properties along the Tennessee River. Neighbors would also have to be notified when a short-term rental is operating nearby…