Daily Regulatory Notes 01/05/2026
Cities address STRs. Nashville, TN reviews enforcement; Maui County, HI votes to phase out STRs; Essex County, NY allocates funds; Decatur, GA discusses ordinance; Lawrence, KS considers temporary loosening of rules; Jackson, NH; Avalon, CA. READ MORE.
Neighbors in Metro Nashville are calling for tighter short-term rental regulations after a shooting at a rental property on New Year’s Day left police collecting more than 93 bullet casings and arresting an 18-year-old suspect.
Residents say the home has been linked to repeated noise issues, overcrowding, and unsafe behavior, but current rules require three violations in a year before a permit can be revoked. City officials point to state-level preemption that restricts local authority to address public safety issues tied to short-term rentals.
The Maui County Council votes to phase out about 7,000 short-term rentals but leaves thousands in legal uncertainty by failing to pass a bill that would have exempted many through rezoning.
Without the exemption, Bill 9 could impact far more properties, while legal challenges and a pending appeal to the state Supreme Court further cloud enforcement.
Essex County is putting its newly collected short-term rental tax revenue to work by allocating funds to local ambulance services across all 18 towns.
Approved at a December Board of Supervisors meeting, the measure allows up to $125,000 per town, supported by a 2025 state law that applies sales tax to STRs. County officials expect about $1.8 million in annual revenue from the tax, with potential increases as compliance efforts expand.
STRisker Calendar Tracker
Staying ahead of STR regulations isn’t just about deadlines—it’s about knowing what’s coming. Our Calendar Tracker keeps you informed on upcoming meetings, key votes, and policy changes, so you never miss a critical update.
The Decatur City Council is divided over a proposed short-term rental ordinance ahead of a public hearing and vote scheduled for Feb. 2, after the Planning Commission unanimously recommended the latest draft.
The ordinance would legalize and regulate short-term rentals, which are currently prohibited, by capping them at 135 citywide, imposing density limits, and requiring annual permits, local residency by owners, and minimum parking standards.
Lawrence city leaders are considering temporarily loosening short-term rental rules to accommodate an expected surge of visitors tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with proposed changes set for a City Commission vote Tuesday.
The amendments would suspend the current cap of three short-term rentals per owner, allow non-owner-occupied rentals in low-density residential zones, and ease inspection requirements by recognizing existing long-term rental inspections. The temporary rules would take effect May 25 and remain in place through the conclusion of the World Cup.
Jackson’s Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Jan. 8 on a proposed zoning amendment that would grandfather certain short-term rentals in residential districts while limiting future ones.
Under the change, STRs operating before March 2020 and with a conditional use permit application filed by March 10, 2026, would be exempt from the town’s cap of 30 rentals per year, while newer rentals would be subject to that limit.
Avalon’s City Council has set the short-term rental license fee at $250 for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, following a unanimous vote and a public hearing with no speakers.
The fee is designed to recoup the city’s administrative costs for monitoring and enforcing short-term rental regulations, including planning services, software for rental activity tracking, a 24-hour compliance hotline, and staff time from Finance, Code Enforcement, and Planning.
In case you missed it:
Genelaine Urbano
Crystel
Crystel
Stay Updated with STRisker
STRisker offers tools and features to keep you updated with the Short-Term Rental movement across the U.S.
👍 We’d love your feedback.
Which stories hit? Which ones missed?
We're constantly refining Daily Notes to make it even more useful for you.
✉️ Just reply directly to this email. We read and respond to every message!
-Will McClure
🙋 P.S.
Know someone else who should be reading Daily Notes? Feel free to forward this along. We’re opening a few more spots.