STR hiccup! What to do!?

[Joanne Tsai]

BPers, 

sigh... I thought I did my due diligence, but apparently not so. 

We bought a house in Hampon, VA, it is 15 min walk to the beach. Instead of putting it in the rental market, I wanted to try airbnb it. So I researched to see if there is regulation there, but it seems the city is pretty friendly with STR. and AirDNA shows more than 100 properties there in the same zip code! (I was aware some stricter regulation in Virginia Beach)

So, I got a note from the code officer today about the violation. Many neighbors complaint about the properties being used as STR, and it was even escalated to the mayor of the city. I was told I had to use the property as my primary residence (stay there more than 6 months a year), then I can run a STR as accessory and that applies to the entire city, not just residential zoning. and since I don't, I am in violation, and I have to cease the operation in a month. (and that's after I just got my super host status :(

what have I missed? there is no specific language on the city website detailing the information. I asked there are more than 100 airbnb in that zip code, and many have multiple listings, so they are not using them as primary homes, she told me they don't have enough people to investigate every property, but if they get complaints, they look into it one by one. 

So is it just my bad luck, or should I have bribed my neighbors? Not sure what else can be done at this point, I actually just started enjoying running the business and getting a hang of it. 

[Scott Trench]

Can you lease it to someone who wants to live there during the offseason and have them run the AirBnB and split profits? 

Can you do mid-term rentals to offset losses? (30-Days) This might technically not be in violation of the short-term rental rules of the city - some homework to potentially do.

I am sorry to hear about this problem, and hope that others have more helpful advice or suggestions than I have!