Daily Regulatory Notes 07/14/2025
Cities address STRs. Ocean City, MD schedules vote; Pittsfield, MA tables proposal; Saratoga Springs, NY implements new rules; Toledo, OH reviews enforcement; Hermosa Beach, CA blocks ban; Waukesha County, WI & Chelan, WA handle lawsuit. READ MORE.
Ocean City residents will vote on July 22 on a contentious short-term rental referendum that could reshape rental rules in neighborhoods like Montego Bay, Little Salisbury, and Mallard Island.
If passed, “Question A” would impose a five-night minimum stay in 2025 and 2026 for rentals in these single-family and mobile home communities—rising to a 31-night minimum starting in 2027.
Pittsfield’s Ordinances and Rules subcommittee has tabled a proposal that would formally legalize and regulate short-term rentals for up to 150 days a year.
The plan would task the Community Development Board as the permitting authority, while only owner-occupied properties would be eligible for operating a second STR. While others argued that lower caps might deter compliance and investment, the subcommittee opted to hold off on a final vote as debate over neighborhood impact and rental caps continues.
As Saratoga Springs braces for its busy summer season, city officials are implementing new rules to regulate short-term rentals.
A digital registry will soon go live, requiring property owners to register, pass fire inspections, and comply with a 150-night annual rental cap. Each rental must also have a local emergency contact within 50 miles. Hosts will have 90 days to comply once the system launches.
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A tragic shooting at a large pool party held at an unregistered short-term rental in Toledo has reignited concerns over the city’s enforcement of its STR regulations.
The property, located on West Lincolnshire Boulevard, was reportedly listed on Airbnb but had never been registered with the city, as required under Toledo’s 2022 ordinance. Though the city mandates STR permits, neighbor notification, safety protocols, and visible permit numbers on listings, many top listings appear to operate without compliance. City officials have not responded to inquiries about how enforcement is handled, despite growing neighborhood concerns and visible gaps in oversight.
A Los Angeles County judge has temporarily blocked Hermosa Beach from enforcing its short-term rental ban against one homeowner, arguing the city may have overstepped its authority in the coastal zone.
The preliminary injunction applies solely to Todd Koerner, who is fighting a $2,500 fine for advertising a short-term rental from his home on Manhattan Avenue. Hermosa Beach, which banned short-term rentals under 30 days in 2016 and currently allows only a fraction of listings to be legally permitted, now faces a challenge that could unravel its broader enforcement strategy.
A Wisconsin appeals court has struck down Summit’s short-term rental ordinance, siding with Wildwood Estate LLC, which had challenged the rule after being barred from renting its property for less than six days.
The court ruled that the ordinance functioned as a zoning law but was enacted without proper notice or a public hearing, violating Wildwood’s due process rights. The village argued it was regulating under business and safety codes, but the court rejected this as post hoc justification especially since officials admitted there were no health or safety concerns prompting the rule. The ordinance is now void and unenforceable, with the village ordered to pay $55,087 in attorney fees.
A Washington appeals court has upheld a Chelan County decision enforcing condo rules on short-term rentals, ordering former unit owners Robert and Amber Thompson to pay nearly $59,000 in legal fees.
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The Thompsons repeatedly violated Spader Bay Condominiums' 2019 rules that aimed to control third-party vacation rentals, including a nightly fee and check-in procedures. Despite multiple warnings, they continued renting their units via a personal manager and skipped association requirements.
In case you missed it:
Genelaine Urbano
READ: Weekly Regulatory Briefing (28)
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