Daily Regulatory Notes 04/07/2025
Cities address STRs. Galveston, TX pushes back house bill; East Haven, CT passes ordinance; Houston, TX delays vote; St. Charles, MO reviews enforcement; Provincetown, MA discusses proposal; Paonia, CO repeals ordinance; Wellsboro, PA questions new requirements. READ MORE
Every day, we bring you a detailed overview of recent news and updates about primary decisions, community feedback, or legislative changes relevant to the short-term rental industry. 📰
Galveston leaders and vacation rental advocates are pushing back against Texas House Bill 2767 which would strip cities of key short-term rental (STR) enforcement tools by preventing local governments from requiring platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to share user information or post registration numbers.
READ: HB 2767
Locals argue the bill threatens Galveston’s ability to track STR compliance, enforce hotel occupancy tax collection, and maintain community standards. The city attorney warns the bill could erase key parts of Galveston’s STR ordinance.
East Haven passed a long-debated short-term rental ordinance set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026 introducing sweeping new rules including a controversial requirement that only full-time residents—those living in town at least 183 days a year—can operate STRs.
Read the full ordinance here.
The ordinance also limits STRs to 150 rental days annually and requires a seven-day gap between bookings unless the host is present. A $500 daily fine applies for violations, and permits may be revoked with a one-year reapplication wait.
The Houston City Council delayed a vote this week on its long-awaited short-term rental ordinance, opting to allow more time for public input and review at a Quality of Life Committee meeting scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m.
```The draft ordinance, which includes a registration system, a $275-per-unit fee, penalties for repeat violations, and new enforcement tools, has drawn criticism for being potentially unenforceable. Proposed amendments aim to address gaps by enabling property-wide enforcement if 25% of units under a single operator are noncompliant and by requiring anti-trafficking training and clearer definitions of “platforms.”
⭐ Staying ahead of STR regulations isn’t just about deadlines—it’s about knowing what’s coming. Check out the Calendar Tracker to stay updated on your area's meetings or workshops.
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.
St. Charles is weighing a new plan that would effectively freeze the expansion of short-term rentals citywide, replacing its current moratorium with strict, permanent limits.
Read the full STR Ordinance here.
The proposed legislation would cap the total number of STRs at 48 and restrict any new ones to the city’s Historic Preservation District near Main Street. Existing short-term rentals outside that area would be grandfathered in, but no new STRs would be permitted in residential neighborhoods. The proposal also keeps in place a 500-foot buffer between STRs, aiming to minimize density.
Provincetown’s upcoming April 7 town meeting includes a significant short-term rental proposal under Article 23, which would cap the number of STR certificates at 1,000—a slight increase over the town’s current 950.
Proponent Doug Cliggott emphasized that even with new housing developments in the pipeline, Provincetown is unlikely to restore its previous year-round rental stock unless stronger limits are placed on STR growth.
```Paonia voters overwhelmingly repealed the town’s short-term rental ordinance on April 1, overturning a law that would have capped STR licenses at 30 and enforced various compliance measures.
Check out the ordinance here.
The ordinance passed in November 2024 and set to take effect January 1, 2025, was halted after residents Deborah Spiegel and Suzanne Watson gathered enough signatures to force a public vote. Ballot Question 2B passed with 70% in favor of repeal.
Wellsboro Borough’s amended short-term rental ordinance is drawing pushback from absentee owners of grandfathered properties, who now face a $450 registration fee and $250 annual renewal, plus annual building inspections and certificates of occupancy — all mandated under changes adopted last November.
Council members said the intent is to curb neighborhood disruptions linked to absentee-run STRs, but admitted they weren’t fully clear on how the requirements would be implemented. Owners questioned the justification for the fees and whether other small businesses face similar burdens.
In case you missed it:
Genelaine Urbano
READ: Weekly Regulatory Briefing (14)
Want to know more about STRisker? Check out our FAQ to know more!
Dane Artisola