Daily Regulatory Notes 08/26/2025
Cities address STRs. South Lake Tahoe, CA begins enforcement; Atlanta, GA votes on permit; Palm Spring, CA reviews enforcement; Londonderry, VT faces backlash; New Orleans, LA enforces policy; Hilton Head Island, SC; Bertie County, NC. READ MORE.
South Lake Tahoe has officially begun enforcing its updated Vacation Home Rental ordinance, with permits issued in residential areas for the first time since Measure T cut back the program in 2021.
Following a 60-day priority application window for former permit holders, the city has received more than 600 applications, approving just 66 and rejecting nearly half for eligibility issues. The new rules aim to curb neighborhood impacts, including a 150-foot buffer between rentals, occupancy capped at two per bedroom, mandatory check-ins and good neighbor contracts, and strict oversight by local property managers available around the clock. Weddings, receptions, commercial events, and late-night amplified music are banned, while noise monitors, outdoor spa curfews, and bear-proof trash storage are required.
Atlanta City Council votes 11–2 to stop issuing new short-term rental permits in the Home Park neighborhood near Georgia Tech. AA move aimed at easing housing pressures in an area where only a quarter of homes are owner-occupied.
Existing operators will be allowed to continue, but the ban follows years of complaints from residents who say rentals and student housing have displaced long-term neighbors. Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari criticized Airbnb for failing to engage on solutions, while sponsor Byron Amos argued the neighborhood needs more permanent residents. Supporters of the ban say it will help restore community stability, while Airbnb pushed back, calling the move arbitrary and harmful to residents who rely on rental income and to travelers seeking affordable stays. The resolution now heads to the mayor’s desk for final approval.
Palm Springs officials are working to close gaps in vacation rental enforcement, with staff telling the Administrative Appeals Board that disclosure requirements tied to real estate closings may not be consistently reaching new buyers.
The city plans to expand outreach beyond quarterly Zoom meetings by resuming MLS visits and realtor office drop-ins, while also weighing new business license requirements for property managers. At the same time, state legislation, SB 346, could soon give local governments more authority by requiring platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to share addresses and registration data. These measures will be folded into ordinance amendments headed to City Council this fall as the city looks to reduce violations through stronger education and accountability.
Londonderry’s effort to rein in short-term rentals is facing backlash after residents passed a new ordinance in July that restricts how properties can be rented.
The rules, approved by a 66–25 vote, state that only owners may hold licenses, cap the number of licenses per owner, and place tough limits on un-hosted rentals, including a one-year waiting period for new buyers and a 50-night annual maximum. Homeowners can still rent seasonally, and current operators are grandfathered in, but the ordinance clearly targets absentee owners and investors, with town leaders citing the need to protect housing for workers. The new rules sparked an anonymous boycott letter sent to local businesses accusing the town of constitutional rights violations, though many business owners dismissed it as divisive.
Big changes are hitting short-term rentals in New Orleans, where a new ordinance forces Airbnb to verify permits before listing homes, leading to the removal of thousands of illegal properties practically overnight.
Councilman JP Morrell says the policy finally holds the platform accountable, with fines and de-listing risks ensuring compliance similar to VRBO’s approach. On top of that, the city now restricts STRs to one per block, with a lottery system run quarterly—the next drawing set for September 29 after a September 7–13 application window.
Hilton Head Island leaders are quietly weighing a possible moratorium on short-term rentals, with Town Council set to discuss the matter in closed executive session.
Councilmember Alex Brown noted that any moratorium would have a clear timeline and detailed plan, and could extend to subdivisions and timeshares as officials seek to rein in a surge of rentals that has reshaped neighborhoods since the pandemic. Residents frustrated by rapid development and the conversion of homes into rental properties have circulated a petition, now with nearly 650 signatures, urging the council to act.
Bertie County’s new six percent occupancy tax for short-term rentals is drawing a mixed response ahead of its September 1 rollout.
Some property owners, like Kate Wemple Jordan and Jerry Cowand, continue to raise concerns about the methodology, filing requirements, and lack of responsiveness from county officials, with Cowand pushing for quarterly rather than monthly reporting. Meanwhile, supporters, including Occano management and the Tourism Development Authority, praise the move as a critical step in funding tourism promotion and local development.
In case you missed it:
Genelaine Urbano
READ: Daily Regulatory Notes 08/25/2025
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