A committee of Surry County staff, citizens and business owners will discuss ways to legitimize short-term rentals.

County Attorney Lola Perkins informed the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 3 that the county’s current zoning ordinance permits short-term rentals only on land zoned agricultural-rural, or A-R, with a conditional use permit to operate as a bed-and-breakfast. The ordinance defines bed-and-breakfast as requiring the property’s owner to live on the property, therefore prohibiting whole-house short-term rentals made popular by services such as Airbnb.

“I think it’s no secret that there are operations happening in the county that do not currently meet those strict requirements,” Perkins said.

Any ordinance change would require public hearings and votes by the county’s Planning Commission and supervisors before it could take effect.

The supervisors voted unanimously on Aug. 3 to authorize Perkins to form the committee.