Daily Regulatory Notes 11/20/2025
Cities address STRs. Columbia, SC reexamines regulations; Riverhead, NY considers new enforcement language; Nantucket, MA ends lawsuit; Bar Harbor, ME approves ordinance; Port Hueneme, CA proposes draft ordinance; Columbus, MS discusses enforcement. READ MORE.
Columbia officials are reexamining short-term rental regulations after a shooting at an Earlewood Airbnb hosting a teen gathering.
Neighbors reported finding a magazine of bullets and a discarded weapon following the incident. Police issued a nuisance notice to the STR owner, triggering a permit revocation. Revised zoning and safety amendments are expected to be taken up by the city council in December.
Riverhead is considering new enforcement language to close evidentiary gaps in its prohibition on short-term rentals of fewer than 30 days.
The proposal would permit prosecutors to use online information and observable property activity as evidence of transient use, triggering higher fines and possible permit revocation. Written comments will be accepted until Nov. 28.
Nantucket’s long-running lawsuit over the legality of short-term rentals has officially ended after voters approved a zoning amendment on Nov. 4 that classifies STRs as a principal use in all residential districts.
Government Websites by CivicPlus®
Following the vote, both the town and the Grapes withdrew their appeals, prompting the Massachusetts Appeals Court to dismiss the case with prejudice on Nov. 10. The change resolves the core legal question raised in the Ward v. Nantucket case, which challenged whether week-to-week rentals were allowed under the zoning bylaw.
Bar Harbor approved a revised short-term rental ordinance that strengthens primary-residence verification requirements for VR-1 rentals while removing a controversial inspection provision.
The new rules require owners to provide three forms of documentation from a list of seven or use an alternative verification process. After public concerns, the council unanimously removed language tying registration to consent for interior inspections, limiting inspections to those allowed under state law.
On Nov. 17, councilmembers directed staff to revise the draft short-term rental ordinance by narrowing exterior-sign requirements and eliminating a spacing rule.
Staff said the ordinance aims to create standards for operators, including permits, quiet hours, parking rules, and enforcement tools such as permit revocation. The council approved the staff-recommended direction with two dissenting votes. Staff will return with clarified occupancy, parking, and minimum-stay language, as well as adjustments needed for properties in the Coastal Zone.
A new Columbus STR ordinance passed in October now requires all short-term rental operators to obtain annual permits, designate a local property manager, and display detailed safety and contact information inside and outside their rentals.
The update formalizes rules that previously offered minimal oversight and aims to ease neighborhood concerns by clarifying responsibility for noise, parking, and complaints. The measure also applies the city’s 2% hotel tax to STRs for the first time, following recent state law changes. Full compliance is expected by mid-2026 once tax registration and outreach are complete.
🐦 Tweet Highlights: Catch the latest discussions on X
Subletting startup Kiki Club paid over $152,000 to settle charges for violating NYC short-term rental laws. A stark reminder for tech platforms to comply with local regulations. pic.twitter.com/CThB5Hgz8M
— HashedTech (@HashedTech) November 20, 2025
"This settlement sends a clear message: If you are a company that facilitates short-term rentals, ignoring city laws will be an expensive proposition," said Christian Klossner, Executive Director of the NYC Office of Special Enforcement. pic.twitter.com/JoyAKtz2Qw
— MOCJ NYC (@CrimJusticeNYC) November 19, 2025
Genelaine Urbano
Crystel
Crystel
Stay Updated with STRisker
STRisker offers tools and features to keep you updated with the Short-Term Rental movement across the U.S.
👍 We’d love your feedback.
Which stories hit? Which ones missed?
We're constantly refining Daily Notes to make it even more useful for you.
✉️ Just reply directly to this email. We read and respond to every message!
-Will McClure
🙋 P.S.
Know someone else who should be reading Daily Notes? Feel free to forward this along. We’re opening a few more spots.