SHORT-TERM RENTALS

Palmetto Dunes is a diverse community representing a blend of full-time, part-time, and rental property owners. This diversity is a core strength of Palmetto Dunes. However, with a growing number of short-term rentals in the community, we sought to achieve a greater balance between short-term rentals and non-rentals.

When registering, community code is PDPOA

  • Each rental property must be registered with the Palmetto Dunes POA. Registrations are valid from January 1st through December 31st of each year. The registration portal can be accessed through pdpoa.org/str.

  • This is a new system, so unless you have registered after April 1, 2022, a new account must be created. To register, you will need your owner PIN and use community code: PDPOA.

  • If your property has a unit number, register with the unit number, not the street address.
    Example: use 123 Ocean Cove, not 25 Ocean Lane #123..

  • If you do not receive an approval or rejection email, please check your junk mail folder. If a rejection is received, you can login and edit your rentals. You do not have to start over again.

  • For questions regarding your short-term rental property in Palmetto Dunes, please contact our Visitor Management Coordinator, Julius Ingram, at (843) 785-1125 or jingram@pdpoa.org.

INFORMATIVE SIGNAGE

Click to download our informative flyers to share with your short-term rental guests. Printed signage is available for pick-up in our Pass Office at 16 Queens Folly Rd.

If you missed the 2023 Short-Term Rental Company meeting, you can download the PowerPoint here.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS TOOLKIT

As the owner of a short-term rental property in Palmetto Dunes, what steps do I need to take?

If you have any questions regarding the Short-Term Rental steps, please call the Pass Office at 843-785-1125.

WHAT NEW POLICIES ARE INCLUDED IN THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PPGs?
  • Short-Term Rental Registration
    • The Short-Term Rental Registration is a free on-line confidential registry for owners who rent their property on the short-term rental market in Palmetto Dunes. All owners who rent their property on a short-term basis must register.
    • Registration is not live. We will be contacting you once registration is available. Registration will be through a secure online portal, and you simply provide the contact information of your property management company as well as your own. This confidential information will be used when a guest requires assistance or if any issues arise at your property.
  • One-hour response required for unresolvable issues
    • This will be for the vast minority of situations.
    • If security is called to the property and is able to resolve the issue without further incident, you do not need to do ANYTHING. Incidents will be treated the same for all owners (renters and non-renters). As a courtesy to rental owners, Palmetto Dunes will notify owners that they responded to the property. It is anticipated that notification will be made electronically on at least a monthly basis.
    • However, if Security needs to address an issue multiple times without resolve, you will be contacted and the rental management company and/or the property owner must return the telephone call to PDPOA within one (1) hour.
  • Display of Certain Signage
    • To help educate guests, keep them safe, and to minimize their risk of receiving a citation while in Palmetto Dunes, it is essential that all guests residing at a property can easily locate and view our most important rules. Based on our experience, once a guest has been made aware of our rules (often as the result of a response from Security due to a complaint), guests seek to comply and a follow-up from Security is rarely needed.
  • Distribution of Online Video
    • A guest who understands the policies will be safer and have a more enjoyable experience. Sharing our 2-minute online video is an engaging way to make them aware of the rules of the community.
  • Boarding or Rooming House Operation Prohibited
    • The entire property must be rented to the same person or entity, granting the tenant exclusive occupancy of the property for the term of rental. Owners may not rent a room, a portion of the property, or a guesthouse/accessory building on the property, while remaining in occupancy of another portion of the property.
BACKGROUND

A review of short-term rentals within Palmetto Dunes was driven by two topics—the growing use and community reaction to short-term vacation rentals across the United States, and historical concerns regarding the impact of renters within Palmetto Dunes.

To proactively address both topics, four board members — Gayle Cleaveland, Doug Luba, Lee Smith and Bill Watkins — volunteered to investigate the circumstances and approaches used by other resort and non-resort towns to achieve a balance between short-term rentals and non-rentals. The team also reviewed the demographics of Palmetto Dunes along with critical metrics.

After determining that new communications and policies could help bring an improved balance to Palmetto Dunes among owners who rent and those who do not, the group proposed a committee consisting of additional owners be established.

The objective is to find a way for full-time residents, part-time residents, investment owners, and renters to more harmoniously coexist bringing added enjoyment, pride and value to all owners within Palmetto Dunes.

SHORT-TERM RENTAL AD HOC COMMITTEE

During the March 2019 board meeting, the Short-Term Ad Hoc Rental Committee was established with the following purpose:

With the growing use of short-term rentals, the purpose of this Ad Hoc Committee is to review the impact short-term rentals may be having upon Palmetto Dunes and recommend any policy/process enhancements to balance the economic needs of owners who rent with a quality of life expected by owners who do not—ensuring the behaviors of one group do not adversely impact the other.

In fulfilling its charter, the committee will:

  1. Identify trends related to short-term rentals
  2. Review situations, methods and approaches used by other resort/non-resort communities to address short-term rental related issues (perhaps reaching out to understand their thinking, particular situation, and decision-making criteria)
  3. Assess the impact of noise, traffic, parking, over occupancy, safety, and other related issues that may be associated with short-term rentals within Palmetto Dunes
  4. Engage key constituencies to understand their perspective regarding short-term rentals, and to acquire feedback regarding potential policies
  5. Formulate any specific policies required to help achieve balance among owners who rent and those who do not
  6. Recommend to the Board of Directors, if appropriate, policies and processes to equitably and appropriately address any noise, traffic, parking, overoccupancy, bicycle safety, or other short-term rental related issues in Palmetto Dunes

Ad Hoc Committee Members

  • Gayle Cleaveland, Full-Time Resident
  • Ian Cohen, Rents/Part-Time Resident
  • Pattie Courtney, Rents and Full-Time Resident
  • Joe Homa, Full-Time Resident, Real Estate Developer, Real Estate Agent
  • Doug Luba, Full-Time Resident
  • Lee Smith, Full-Time Resident
  • Bill Watkins, Greenwood/PD Resort, Property Management
  • Jim Griner, PDPOA, Security/First Contact for Renters

Additional Documents