Daily Regulatory Notes 05/19/2026

Columbia Township, MI

Columbia Township officials in Michigan are considering a new short-term rental ordinance that would require annual permits, limit owners to four properties, and cap occupancy at 10 guests.

Residents around Clark Lake say regulations are needed to address concerns over noise, parking, overcrowding, and disruptions in tightly packed lakefront neighborhoods. Some STR owners argue existing nuisance laws are sufficient and worry the proposed rules would be difficult to enforce.

Carson City, NV

Carson City supervisors are preparing to discuss a proposed short-term rental ordinance that would expand where STRs are allowed while introducing new licensing, safety, and operational requirements.

Proposed rules include annual inspections, occupancy limits, permit and business license fees, quiet hours, local contact requirements, and escalating penalties for violations. City officials estimate there are already 40 to 50 unlicensed STRs operating locally.

Ellsworth, ME

Ellsworth officials are backing a proposed short-term rental registry program aimed at improving oversight of the city’s expanding vacation rental market.

Included in the city’s draft budget, the proposal would fund registration software and inspections while generating revenue through annual fees charged to STR owners. City officials cited concerns over overcrowding and safety compliance, with Code Enforcement Officer Robert Grant warning that some properties advertise accommodations exceeding legal bedroom capacities.

Nantucket, MA

Nantucket’s years-long battle over short-term rentals reached a major milestone after the Massachusetts Attorney General upheld the island’s vote to legalize STRs by-right across most zoning districts, rejecting a legal challenge that sought to overturn the measure.

The bylaw amendment, approved overwhelmingly at a Special Town Meeting, formally recognizes short-term rentals as an allowed residential use and ends years of uncertainty surrounding their legality on the island. Opponents argued the measure violated state zoning laws that limit how quickly failed zoning proposals can return to Town Meeting, but the Attorney General concluded there was insufficient basis to determine the article conflicted with state law.

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Richmond, VA

Richmond has recovered $5.6 million in delinquent short-term rental taxes as the city continues tightening enforcement of its Airbnb-style lodging regulations.

City of Richmond - File #: ORD. 2023-151

Title: To repeal City Code §§ 26-724, concerning definitions for transient lodging taxes, 26-725, concerning levy of transient lodging taxes, 26-726, concerning collection of transient lodging taxes, 26-727, concerning violations, 26-728, concerning reports required, 26-729, concerning enforcement, and 26-730, concerning the effective date of ch. 26, art. X of the City Code; to amend ch. 26, art. X of the City Code by adding therein new §§ 26-724.1-26-732, concerning transient occupancy taxes; and to amend City Code § 26-430, concerning penalties for non-payment of property taxes, all for the purpose of aligning the City Code with state law pertaining to transient occupancy taxes.

File #: ORD. 2023-151Granicus, Inc.

The payments stem from a 2023 ordinance that extended the city’s hotel-style occupancy tax to STRs and aligned local rules with state requirements for platform data reporting. City officials said the recovered funds include unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest.

Short-Term Rentals | Nantucket, MA - Official Website

Short-term rental, often abbreviated to STR, describes furnished self-contained apartments or houses that are rented for short periods of time.

Home pageGovernment Websites by CivicPlus®

Simi Valley, CA

Simi Valley City Council voted unanimously May 11 to give initial approval to an ordinance regulating short term rentals rather than banning them, making the city the fourth in Ventura County to tax and regulate STRs.

The rules, set to take effect January 1, 2027, would require a city permit, annual inspections and roughly $741 in yearly fees, while limiting each owner to one STR permit regardless of how many properties they control. A second reading and final vote is scheduled for June 8, with city officials projecting the program will generate around $163,000 in net annual revenue after administration costs.

Mountainside, NJ

Mountainside Borough Council introduced an ordinance on first reading that would ban short term rentals of fewer than 30 days, fast-tracking the measure ahead of FIFA World Cup events coming to New Jersey.

The proposal would prohibit advertising STRs, ban hosting platforms from facilitating illegal rentals and extend the restriction to amenities like pools, sports courts and backyards. A second reading and public hearing are scheduled for June 2, with violations carrying fines of up to $2,000 enforced through the borough's existing zoning process.

Conyers, GA

Conyers Mayor Connie Alsobrook and City Council Member Sherri Washington are hosting a public listening session on short term rentals on Thursday, May 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Conyers City Hall.

Residents are invited to share how STRs affect their neighborhoods, housing availability, traffic, noise, property values and quality of life. The session is part of the city's ongoing Conyers Conversations series and will help inform future short term rental policy decisions.

📱 Social Buzz

🎤 Episode Title: Airbnb Rethinks AI, Brands Move Into Safari, Spain’s Tourism Reckoning, Hospitality’s Human Premium
🎤 Episode: This Week in Hospitality

📻 Listen:https://thisweekinhospitality.podbean.com/e/airbnb-rethinks-ai-brands-move-into-safari-spain-s-tourism-reckoning-hospitality-s-human-premium/

🎤 Episode Title: Why Vacation Rentals Lose Ground Before Regulations Even Hit | The Socially Awkward Podcast Ep. 9
🎤 Episode: The Socially Awkward Podcast | Strategic Marketing for the Hospitality Industry

📻 Listen:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2605894/episodes/19140016-why-vacation-rentals-lose-ground-before-regulations-even-hit-the-socially-awkward-podcast-ep-9.mp3

In case you missed it:

Daily Regulatory Notes 05/18/2026

Cities address STRs. Illinois considers bill; New York criticizes STR platforms; Westfield, IN uncovers alleged prostitution on STR home; Elizabethtown, KY and Las Vegas, NV review enforcement; Flagstaff, AZ approves first reading; Birmingham, MI; Okeechobee County, FL; Tupper Lake, NY. READ MORE.

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff Tightens Rules on Short‑Term Rentals: City raises fees, adds safety standards, and requires insurance and background checks

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

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