Banning Airbnbs? Buckhannon council advised to take no action

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Despite concerns from some residents, Buckhannon City Council will most likely not be taking up the issue of banning online rental properties such as VRBO and Airbnb in the near future.

At a recent meeting of the Buckhannon Planning Commission, City Attorney Tom O’Neill suggested that enforcing such a restriction would be in direct conflict with state law. He advised the Planning Commission to take no action on the matter.

Several residents had expressed concern that short-term rentals could lead to loud parties, parking issues or other neighborhood disturbances.

O’Neill proposed a working group to study the impact on the community and research whether there are alternative ways to address residents’ concerns.

Other small towns in the area have also talked about banning or restricting short term rentals. Earlier this year, the town of Davis in Tucker County proposed a new zoning ordinance that would have, among other things, restricted rentals like Airbnb and VRBO to certain areas. However, that ordinance did not pass in a public vote .

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