Shandon Neighbors, City Leaders, and the Changing Landscape of Short-Term Rentals
Community Perspectives on Short-Term Rentals in Shandon
It’s impossible to discuss short-term rentals in any city without recognizing how unique each neighborhood truly is. In Shandon—a well-loved community on the southeast side of Columbia—discussions about Airbnbs, regulations, and local living aren’t just news headlines. They’re daily reality, shaping how people experience their blocks, interact with newcomers, and decide what kind of home they want Shandon to be.
Recent events pulled these questions into sharp focus. In June 2025, a tragic shooting at a short-term rental in Elmwood Park left a neighborhood stunned, prompting Columbia City Council to respond quickly. The city put new short-term rental permits on pause in residential neighborhoods and began updating regulations. Even with fresh rules passed in September, this moratorium remains while council members consider whether to restrict future short-term rentals to commercial-zoned properties.
The Evolving City Response and Neighborhood Conversations
During a Shandon Neighborhood Council meeting held just days after the revised regulations passed, residents and city leaders gathered for an open discussion. City Council Member Tyler Bailey made it clear: any proposal about zoning limits for rental properties would happen transparently, with no hidden decisions. And with every new step, the city has to balance a vision for local homeownership—especially for young families—with property investors’ business goals. Bailey summarized a hope echoed by many: that shifting short-term rentals into commercial areas might help families buy into Shandon’s tree-lined streets again.
What qualifies as a short-term rental in Columbia? The city defines these as properties rented for less than 30 days at a stretch—think Airbnb and Vrbo listings, often called vacation rentals. Over the last few years, the council has moved from considering a near-ban to requiring permits for those operating such spaces, beginning with their 2023 ordinance.
What’s Actually Changing for Short-Term Rentals?
One of the more debated updates was whether to prohibit hosts from renting to guests who live within 30 miles—a measure aimed at curbing “party house” issues. Instead, the new rule allows, but doesn’t require, owners to cancel such bookings. Other rules are now in play, too:
- If an owner is found in violation, there’s a 15-day grace period to resolve the problem before fines of $500 per day stack up.
- The minimum age to book a short-term rental rose from 18 to 21.
These tweaks aim to strike a balance: keeping neighborhoods peaceful and fair for everyone, without shutting out responsible renters or those relying on rental income.
Long-Term Rentals: The Surprising Side of the Story
For some longtime Shandon residents, including Carla Guido, the debate felt a little upside-down. She’s had a short-term rental near her home for years and finds it less disruptive than many might expect. In her words, “it’s actually a quiet neighbor” since the place isn’t always occupied.
Data from David Hatcher, Columbia’s code enforcement lead, put things in perspective: in Shandon, only 29 short-term rentals are officially registered, with about a dozen more possibly flying under the radar. But get this—there are nearly 680 long-term rental properties in the neighborhood. That statistic took Guido—and much of the audience—by surprise. For some, the “nuisance rentals” stirring complaints might in fact be traditional long-term rentals, not the vacation homes everyone’s talking about.
Property Managers and the Local Business Lens
Property managers have a unique viewpoint, shaped by both business realities and community belonging. David Bergmann, who owns a property management company handling short-term rentals for owners, makes it a point to join these neighborhood conversations. He feels the current batch of regulation is fair, though he’s worried about permanent restrictions on new residential permits.
Both Bergmann and Guido emphasized one need: good data before making sweeping decisions. Anecdotes and single events shouldn’t drive city-wide laws. Instead, they urge city leaders to really look at what’s happening on the ground—what’s working, what isn’t—before reshaping zoning and business permissions that could affect many owners and residents for years to come.
“We’ve skipped right to policy making based on anecdotes,” Bergmann explained during the meeting, voicing a concern that many small property businesses share.
Why People Seek Out Residential Short-Term Rentals
It’s easy to forget that demand for short-term rentals is all about experience. As Bergmann put it, visitors to Columbia aren’t always looking for another standard hotel. They want the feel of a local street, access to vibrant neighborhoods like Shandon, and a sense of being part of the community—even for just a few nights. It’s the chance to “live like a local” that makes these rentals so popular.
Enforcement: The Backbone of Effective Regulation
No policy—no matter how well-written—matters without real enforcement. Columbia’s city council has recognized this, approving more staff for code enforcement as of September. Yet, residents like Guido still see gaps. There’s a sense that people don’t know whom to contact when issues erupt next door, and that rules aren’t followed as closely as intended.
“They’ve spent so much time, money and effort putting together rules and regulations for short-term rentals, and I feel like they’re not being enforced,” Guido remarked during the meeting. It’s an experience many community members in cities everywhere share.
When the code enforcement contact info was finally printed and placed out front at the meeting, it was a reminder of how communication breakdowns can sometimes matter just as much as policy itself.
Giving New Rules a Real Chance
For those at the heart of Shandon’s rental debate, there’s a quiet call for patience and fairness. Before jumping into tighter controls or zoning changes, several attendees—owners, managers, and neighbors alike—encouraged the city to enforce the rules already on the books. Bergmann summed up this perspective: give the ordinances time to work, measure the results, and only then consider widespread changes. “Until we’ve done at least both of these things, then we feel like we haven’t given it a fair shot.”
As cities like Columbia balance growth, housing affordability, and neighborhood quality of life, real-world feedback from places like Shandon will keep shaping local policy. For homeowners, managers, and residents in any neighborhood—whether in South Carolina or Denver—finding the sweet spot for short-term rentals depends not only on law, but on ongoing conversation and community involvement.