NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A controversial law meant to govern properties such as Airbnbs and Vrbos will start being enforced citywide Aug. 1 according to city leaders, more than three years after the regulations were initially approved.

In a “Short-Term Rental PSA” posted on his Instagram June 13, Mayor Phillip Jones encouraged property owners to “get into compliance” ahead of the deadline, while also detailing that the city is “here to help.”

However, some operators of short-term rentals who opposed the rules as passed back in 2022 say they are still opposed now.

Without “help” from the city in the order of amendments to the regulations, the property owners say they will be forced to shut down.

“It’s very short sighted,” said Dana Robbins, a real estate agent who owns multiple short-term rentals.

Under the regulations, a property owner looking to rent their property must fill out a short-term rental permit application with the city, obtain a business license and agree to all short-term rental safety and operational standards, as well as collect and remit transient occupancy tax to the city.

Robbins explained she had no problem with that process. Her issue is, and has been, what the city chooses to define as a short-term rental.

Under the city ordinance, only homes or units that are used as a primary residence for more than half the year are eligible.

“The majority of people who own short-term rentals do not live in them,” Robbins said. “So to say that we’re going to allow short-term rentals is saying, in essence, you don’t want them, and then you’re cutting off a major income producing ability for both property owners and for the city.”

Robbins said it won’t be possible for her to comply with the deadline, at least not without canceling on guests that have already booked.

“I cannot just shut that down or I’ll be severely penalized by the platform and lose both the ability to be a host in the future and monetarily be penalized,” Robbins said. “For the two properties between now and the end of the year, (I have) probably more like 60 (bookings.)”

The issue of short-term rentals and how to regulate them have been controversial in many communities, including several in Hampton Roads. At the core of each debate: how do you best accommodate the growing use of home-sharing platforms while also maintaining the character of traditional owner-occupied neighborhoods?

Newport News studied the situation for three years before holding a vote on regulations in 2022. Still, the vote was split among council members and in a unique move, both former City Manager Cindy Rohlf and City Attorney Collins Owens announced they didn’t plan to enforce the ordinance unless there were specific complaints.

Robbins has reached out to council members to know “why the urgency” to enforce the regulations now.

“Where is this pressure coming from? And I didn’t really get an answer to that,” Robbins said.

However, comments made at the June 10 City Council meeting may provide the answer.

Five residents of the Merry Point neighborhood in the Hidenwood area of the city, requested the city enforce the ordinance. Several said a January 2025 shooting occurred because “renters were holding a party that became violent” according to meeting minutes.

Councilman Cleon Long, who represents the area of Merry Point, said it’s all about enforcing a law on the books.

“The short-term rental ordinance is designed to keep our communities vibrant and welcoming while prioritizing the safety of those who stay in these homes,” Long said. “By setting clear standards for safety, occupancy and responsible operation, we’re helping preserve neighborhood quality of life and protect visitors.

He added that the city will begin issuing notices to properties that are not in compliance, and owners will have 30 days to address any violations.

However Robbins hopes there can be more conversation to amend the ordinance to allow more people to come into compliance. Currently only 20 short-term rentals in the city are properly registered according to city spokesperson.

“I would love to see the city put some smarter regulations around short term rentals, because we absolutely need them,” Robbins said. “We can look at what Virginia Beach has done. We can look at what Hampton has done. There can be density requirements. There could be conditional use permit where if someone isn’t following the rules and isn’t really monitoring their property, you can revoke the use of that. There’s a whole host of positive stories about short-term rentals that are a definite advantage for the city versus just saying we’ve had a couple of complaints and we’re scared of community lash back because we have short-term rentals.”