Daily Regulatory Notes 04/22/2025
Cities address STRs. Massachusetts discusses bill; Cocoa Beach, FL expands regulations; Hawaii County, HI reviews regulations; Port Austin, MI delays vote; York, Maine gathers for public forum; Oakley, CA discusses STR zones. 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. 📰
Massachusetts
A new Massachusetts bill named after fire victims Shannon and Maggie Hubbard would require annual safety inspections for all short-term rentals statewide, addressing concerns that current regulations vary too widely by town.
The Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act follows a fatal fire in an unpermitted Airbnb in New York where missing smoke detectors led to charges against the property owners. If passed, the bill would require hosts and platforms to verify valid compliance certificates before listings go live.
Cocoa Beach is expanding its short-term rental regulations beyond single-family homes to include condos and multifamily properties following a unanimous city commission vote on April 17.
The updated policy restructures annual registration fees based on occupancy, with single-family rentals now charged $219.45 per guest and multifamily units at $146.30 per guest. The city also introduced escalating fines for unregistered rentals, reinforcing its effort to hold bad actors accountable while easing pressure on responsible hosts.
Hawai‘i County took another step toward regulating hosted short-term rentals with a Zoom briefing held on April 17, where the public was informed about a proposed registration process for hosted vacation rentals and platforms like Airbnb.
The legislation—focused solely on establishing a registry—aimed to clarify the scope of hosted STRs on the Big Island and ensure legal compliance, without altering operational rules or land use.
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The Port Austin Village Council delayed a vote on a proposed short-term rental ordinance as members continue working with legal counsel to fine-tune the language.
The village currently lacks any formal STR regulations, and officials acknowledged that platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo require modern zoning responses. The council reaffirmed support for Ordinance 31 and noted 52 letters in favor since April 9. STR regulations remain on hold for now, but the council’s ongoing discussions signal that new rules are likely on the horizon.
York residents gathered for a public forum to weigh in on whether the town should adopt its first-ever short-term rental ordinance, reigniting debate after a similar proposal narrowly failed last May.
The Selectboard-appointed committee heard from both sides—residents concerned about neighborhood disruption and rising property values due to corporate-owned rentals, and local property owners who rely on short-term rental income and fear new fees could price them out. The committee aims to make a recommendation by August, potentially leading to a vote in November or next spring.
During Oakley's April 8 planning and zoning work session, City Council discussed potentially encouraging more short-term rentals in the downtown area to boost foot traffic and support local businesses.
While councilmember Aaron Meadows advocated for expanding hosted short-term rentals downtown, others were more cautious. Mayor Shannon Shaw floated using tech tools for better monitoring, while councilmember George Fuller expressed worries about misuse of STRs.
In case you missed it:
Genelaine Urbano
READ: 04/21/2025 Daily Regulatory Notes
📅 READ: STRisker's Calendar
Dane Artisola