Daily Regulatory Notes 05/12/2025
Cities address STRs. New Braunfels reviews enforcement; Traverse City, MI recommends regulations; Ocean City, MD submits signature for referendum; Winter Park, CO approves regulation; West Fargo, MD rejects proposal; Michigan City, IN schedules workshops. 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. 📰
New Braunfels short-term rental (STR) operators are expecting a busy summer despite lingering challenges from the city’s residential area STR ban.
Jedidiah Duer of My New Braunfels Vacation, which manages over 90 properties, said that after a slow few years, bookings for 2025 are up about 35%, reflecting a recovery in local tourism. However, a recent court ruling upholding the city’s STR restrictions continues to limit the number of available properties, potentially affecting affordability for vacationers.
Traverse City’s Planning Commission is recommending new caps on short-term rentals in seven zoning districts to boost long-term housing availability.
Proposed changes include limiting short-term rental use to 25% of a unit in the D-1 District, 35% in the C-3 District, and 50% in the C-4-A District—down from the current 100% allowed. The city commission will now decide whether to adopt the proposed amendments.
Ocean City’s five-night minimum stay rule for short-term rentals in residential and mobile home areas may be put on hold, as over 1,300 signatures have been submitted to trigger a referendum.
The ordinance would affect about 300 of the city’s 9,000 rentals.If enough signatures are verified, the rule will be suspended June 20 until voters decide in a special election.
⭐How do you keep up with the regulatory rollercoaster in your market? STRisker's Updates Tracker can be your guide - start tracking latest events as they happen and get access to essential documents as they come in.
STRisker Updates Tracker
How do you keep up with the regulatory rollercoaster in your market? STRisker's Updates Tracker can be your guide - start tracking latest events as they happen and get access to essential documents as they come in. We know the struggle, which is why we built this product to capture every twist and turn in the regulatory saga so you never miss a beat.
Winter Park’s Town Council unanimously approved stricter noise regulations for short-term rentals, refining what constitutes “unreasonable noise” and increasing penalties for violations.
The updated rule defines unreasonable noise as sound audible from 50 feet and clearly distinguishable from other sources between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Property owners are now fined $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second, eliminating the prior warning system.
West Fargo’s City Commission rejected a proposed short-term rental ordinance on May 5, directing staff to add back a primary residence requirement that had been removed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The initial draft required short-term rental operators to live in their property for at least six months each year, but this condition was struck after operators opposed it at a March hearing.. The commission, will reconsider the updated ordinance once the primary residence requirement is restored.
Following resident complaints about noise, overcrowding, and disruptive behavior at short-term rentals near the lakefront, Michigan City officials have scheduled public workshops for May 13 and June 10 to explore potential regulations.
The existing ordinance only requires registration, but locals like Diane Vough have pushed for stricter controls, citing issues like overfilled trash bins, public nudity, and underage drinking. Councilman Greg Coulter noted that regulating these properties may be more challenging in Indiana due to state law differences, contrasting it with New Buffalo, Michigan, which banned new short-term rentals in residential areas in 2021.
``` ```In case you missed it:
William McClure
READ: STRIsker Release Notes
Genelaine Urbano
READ: Weekly Regulatory Briefing (19)
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