Daily Regulatory Notes 04/24/2025
Cities address STRs. South Carolina discusses bill; Connecticut advances bill; Riverside County, CA extends moratorium; Woodland Park, CO dismisses lawsuit; Newton, NJ considers survey; Irondequoit, NY reviews proposed code changes; Redding, CA reviews enforcement. 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. 📰
South Carolina
Debate over short-term rental regulation resurfaced in Columbia as South Carolina lawmakers discussed House Bill 3861 which would block municipalities from banning STRs.
Representative Joe Bustos, the bill’s sponsor, acknowledged growing questions around taxes, traffic, and home rule, emphasizing no one wants to ban STRs outright—but local governments insist they need the authority to manage them. With the session nearing its end, the bill will likely be refiled in January.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s legislature is advancing a bill that would require all short-term rental operators to register annually with the Department of Revenue Services, including submitting property details and paying a $100 fee per unit.
HB 7238 would make the registry public and searchable by municipality starting in 2026. The bill also lets towns vote to add a 2.75% tax on STR bookings to support local housing initiatives.
Riverside County supervisors have unanimously extended a short-term rental moratorium in Thousand Palms and B Bar H Ranch for another 10 months citing ongoing issues tied to party houses and community disruptions.
The pause originally enacted in March now runs through February 2026 giving county staff time to develop permanent regulations. Officials noted that illegal STR activity—particularly unpermitted rentals hosting large gatherings—has surged, partly due to neighboring cities' stricter rental rules.
Countywide STR rules already exist under Ordinance 927, but officials say new, area-specific regulations are needed to restore peace and ensure compliance in these impacted zones.
A legal challenge to Woodland Park’s voter-approved short-term rental ordinance was dismissed with a judge ruling that STRs were never a permitted use under local zoning laws.
Preview of Ordinance 1469
The suit, filed by Mary Sekowski and the Teller County STR Alliance, sought to overturn Ordinance 1469 which restricts STRs in residential areas to owner-occupied primary residences. The court sided with the city, stating the plaintiffs failed to prove any right to STR operation existed under current zoning.
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Newton officials are considering a town-wide housing survey to better understand the scope of short-term and long-term rentals including Airbnbs, boarding homes, and traditional B&Bs.
Proposed at April 15’s council meeting, the survey could include door-to-door visits and would help document rental types not fully tracked under state licensing, especially as local ordinances often go unenforced.
Irondequoit officials are reviewing a proposed code change that would limit short-term rentals to stays of at least 7 days or more than 29 days, aiming to curb transient traffic in residential zones.
Some residents supported the move to protect housing availability, while others pushed for more leniency for hosts living on-site. The amendment would exclude only hotels and motels from the restriction. The board opted to table the proposal for further discussion.
Redding’s Planning Commission has voted to recommend a new limit on short-term vacation rentals proposing that no more than 50% of units in any apartment building can be used as STRs.
A Guide to Short-Term Rentals
This builds on 2023 rules that capped STRs at 400 citywide and banned them in duplexes and downtown apartments. About 225 permits remain available, and the new proposal will now head to the City Council for final approval.
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