Daily Regulatory Notes 11/18/2025
Cities address STRs. Atlanta, GA rejects proposal on ban; Montana reviews enforcement; Flagstaff, AZ releases interactive map; Galveston, TX approves ordinance; Manistee, MI reminds deadline; Riverhead, NY reviews regulations; Columbia, SC rejects proposal; Lake Elmo, MN; Bellaire, TX. READ MORE.
The Atlanta City Council voted 7-6 to reject a proposal to ban short-term rentals in northeast Atlanta’s District 7, which includes parts of Buckhead, Lindbergh, and Brookhaven.
BREAKING: Atlanta City Council REJECTS a proposal to ban short-term rentals in northeast ATL.
— Patrick Quinn (@PatrickQuinnTV) November 17, 2025
It was very close. 7 NAYS, 6 YAYS. 2 people did not vote (Hillis, Amos).
The proposal saw coordinated pushback from Airbnb and short-term rental hosts who raised late legal concerns. pic.twitter.com/jDMKA3pDjd
The legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Howard Shook, cited impacts on neighborhood character and quality of life, though current operators would have been grandfathered in.
STR hosts and advocacy groups, including the Atlanta Metro Short Term Rental Alliance, raised legal and constitutional concerns, noting due process issues and warning against broad prohibitions targeting all rentals rather than problem properties.
Montana
Montana’s new tax rules outline how the state will handle second-home taxes next year, including how Airbnb-style short-term rentals sharing a parcel with a primary residence will be treated.
The system raises the default residential tax rate and then lowers it only for owners who qualify for a homestead exemption, which requires living in the home or renting it long-term for at least seven months a year. A public meeting on the proposed STR-related rules will be held Dec. 1, with written comments accepted through Dec. 8.
The City of Flagstaff has released an interactive map that shows the location of all short-term rentals and provides emergency contact information for each property.
The tool is designed to help residents quickly reach owners if concerns or emergencies arise. The map and additional regulatory details are available at the city’s STR webpage. Flagstaff requires STR owners to hold an annual license, pay transaction privilege tax, notify neighbors, and pay an annual fee.
Galveston tightened oversight of short-term rentals by approving an ordinance that lets a new committee revoke licenses after three violations in a year.
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A major change came when the council stripped out proposed parking rules after legal staff said they weren’t enforceable, despite some members pushing to keep them due to neighborhood complaints. The updated ordinance now prioritizes complaint-based enforcement, with parking to be addressed separately.
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Manistee short-term rental owners must register their units by Dec. 31 under the city’s ordinance, which limits rentals outside the overlay district to 165 units, or roughly 5% of residential parcels.
Registration requires a $100 fee, submission of forms and documents to the community development department or via email, and posting a “Be a Good Neighbor” guide in each unit covering parking, noise, pets, and other rules. Inspections are required every three years at $150 per unit to ensure compliance with the ordinance and the International Property Maintenance Code.
Riverhead is set to review stricter short-term rental regulations at a public hearing on Nov. 18, which would ban advertising rentals under 30 days, triple fines, and allow enforcement based solely on listing language.
The revisions expand rental permit rules, make advertising sub-30-day rentals illegal, and establish a “rebuttable presumption” that properties listed for short stays violate the town code. Any single day of prohibited advertising would count as a separate violation, and platforms that fail to remove listings after notice could face civil penalties. The updates also allow fines up to $5,000 per day, civil actions, and injunctive relief, with town code officers authorized to suspend or revoke permits for violations.
Columbia’s Planning Commission voted 5-3 to reject proposed zoning restrictions that would have limited short-term rentals like Airbnbs to commercial and mixed-use areas, while allowing some exceptions for properties on four-lane roads.
The rules would have effectively banned new STRs in most residential neighborhoods, where the majority of Columbia’s 426 registered rentals operate, though about 100 rentals are thought to be unpermitted. The decision now moves to the City Council, which could still adopt restrictions or modify the rules, with discussion scheduled for the Dec. 16 council meeting.
Lake Elmo officials reviewed their approach to short-term rentals after identifying roughly 11 active listings, emphasizing that the city currently only permits owner-occupied bed-and-breakfasts with tight restrictions.
Stolpa highlighted regulatory models from surrounding cities and noted that certain occupancy thresholds could push STRs into costly hotel-level building-code requirements. Council members voiced concerns about neighborhood character and suggested caps, location limits, and expanded compliance checks.
Bellaire city staff briefed the Planning & Zoning Commission on a proposed short-term rental ordinance that would ban rentals under 30 days in residential zones, giving existing operators 180 days to comply.
The draft draws from Houston and Austin rules, with staff emphasizing that the 30-day minimum is standard and the transition period is intended to ease compliance. City staff and the prosecutor noted civil remedies, injunctions, and other escalations could be used if fines prove ineffective, with a promise to provide detailed enforcement options.
In case you missed it:
Genelaine Urbano
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