Daily Regulatory Notes 07/17/2025
Cities address STRs. Talbot County, MD reviews enforcement; Pacifica, CA approves regulations; Kent County, DE votes against proposal; Columbus, OH reexamines rules. READ MORE.
Talbot County’s push to tighten short-term rental regulations remains unresolved, as county officials and planning commissioners remain divided over how far the rules should go.
Council members Lynn Mielke and Pete Lesher are backing stricter controls like mandatory landlines, detailed stay logs, a seven-night minimum, and new density caps for non-primary residences. But the Planning Commission pushed back during its July 2 meeting calling many of the proposed changes burdensome and unnecessary.
Some commissioners even suggested relaxing current rules, such as allowing license transfers when properties change hands. With formal recommendations still pending and written public comments open, the council has yet to find consensus, and it remains uncertain whether Mielke and Lesher’s proposals will gain majority support.
Pacifica’s long-awaited short-term rental ordinance is finally in place, with sweeping changes set to significantly cut the number of vacation rentals across the city.
Approved Monday after three years of debate, the new rules impose a strict 60-night annual cap on unhosted rentals, ban STRs in accessory dwelling units, introduce quiet hours, and require safety inspections, insurance, and 24/7 response coverage. Operators must also pay a $1,700 permit fee and meet new parking and nuisance standards—or risk penalties under a new strike system.
The new rules take effect in October for all renewed permits, though enforcement in the coastal zone will be delayed until the Coastal Commission gives its approval.
Kent County’s Regional Planning Commission has unanimously voted against a proposal to relax the county’s owner-occupancy requirement for short-term rentals, reaffirming current rules that only allow such rentals on properties under five acres if the owner lives onsite.
Although some viewed the change as a way to expand temporary housing options, commissioners agreed it could introduce new problems and preferred keeping the current ordinance intact. The final decision now rests with the Kent County Levy Court, which is expected to address the issue at an upcoming meeting.
Following a fatal shooting at a permitted short-term rental in Columbus over the July 4th weekend, city leaders are reexamining whether their current rules go far enough to protect neighborhoods from party houses and related violence.
The incident has intensified scrutiny just as Ohio lawmakers are again pushing state-level legislation that would strip cities of the power to ban or heavily regulate short-term rentals—prohibiting local zoning restrictions, capping permit fees at $20, and voiding occupancy rules like those in place in Bexley and Grandview. Columbus, which began requiring STR permits in 2019, is not publicly proposing new legislation yet, but Mayor Ginther has directed staff to explore all regulatory options.
In case you missed it:
Genelaine Urbano
READ: Global Regulatory Notes (13)
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