Daily Regulatory Notes 12/16/2024
Cities address STRs: Birmingham, AL improves safety; Palm Coast, FL finalizes its ordinance; Port Royal, SC approves new rules; Los Angeles, CA tackles illegal STRs; Visalia, CA updates enforcement; Maine and Glens Falls finalize rules. READ MORE.
Every day, we bring you a detailed overview of recent news and updates about primary decisions, community feedback, or legislative changes relevant to the short-term rental industry. đź“°
Birmingham, AL
Airbnb is cracking down on holiday parties with enhanced anti-party technology designed to block high-risk reservations for New Year’s Eve. The system, which flagged over 33,000 bookings last year nationwide, evaluates risk based on trip duration, guest proximity to the rental, and timing.
Birmingham, Alabama, has seen issues with parties at short-term rentals, including property damage, and shootings leading to heightened community concerns. Airbnb’s efforts have already deterred over 100 high-risk bookings locally.
Palm Coast, FL
Palm Coast is finalizing a short-term rental ordinance after years of resident complaints about neighborhood disruptions. The proposed regulations would cap guests at 10 per property, mandate annual registration, and include background checks for renters signing agreements.
The ordinance, influenced by state-level legislative debates, is set for a Dec. 17 council review and a final vote in January.
```Port Royal, SC
Port Royal has approved strict new rules to curb the growth of short-term rentals, capping them at 6% of residential units in each of five districts. The move comes after a 57% rise in rentals since 2020, with concerns mounting over the saturation of rentals in historic neighborhoods.
Read the full ordinance here.
Property owners must now obtain business licenses, with hefty penalties for operating illegally.
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles is ramping up efforts to tackle illegal short-term rentals as it prepares for the 2028 Summer Olympics. A recent investigation revealed widespread violations of the city’s Home Sharing Ordinance, with rent-controlled units—intended to preserve affordable housing—illegally listed as vacation rentals. An estimated 60% of short-term rentals in multi-unit buildings are unapproved.
Preview of the Home Sharing Ordinance. Click here for the full ordinance.
To address enforcement gaps, city officials are considering measures like electronic booking systems, steeper fines, and a dedicated task force. Proposed penalties could escalate to $64,000 for repeat offenders, and new legislation may allow residents to sue violators directly.
Visalia, CA
Nearly a year after Visalia implemented stricter zoning rules for short-term rentals (STRs), compliance remains minimal, with only 33 operators obtaining permits out of an estimated 548 rentals.
Check out the full ordinance here.
To tackle widespread violations, the City Council has approved new measures, such as annual permit renewals, hefty fines for noncompliance, and the use of tracking software to identify unregistered STRs.
Portland, OR
Genelaine Urbano
Continuation from Daily Notes 12/9/2024...
In a bid to curb unregulated short-term rentals (STRs), the Portland City Council has unanimously passed stricter safety requirements for STRs in commercial zones, including sprinkler systems and fire walls.
Check out the full ordinance here.
This move addresses a loophole created by state building code changes and aims to hold investor-operated rentals to the same standards as hotels. Alongside these updates, Portland is ramping up enforcement with new advertising restrictions and $240,000 in fines issued since October.
Lake Geneva, WI
Lake Geneva has strengthened its short-term rental (STR) rules, with the City Council approving updates that include clearer penalties and licensing requirements. Approved by a 5-2 City Council vote on Nov. 25, the new rules introduce fines, occupancy limits, and stricter licensing requirements.
"We took what was a fairly inadequate ordinance, and we built around it. We're giving our city attorney a better method to pursue those itinerant STR owners and operators. Without this language, you're not going to have that." Mayor Todd Krause said. Lake Geneva News.
Property owners must now display their license number and maximum occupancy on booking sites, with occupancy based on the number of bedrooms rather than cubic square footage. Owners or managers must also live within 25 miles of the rental. Major violations, like false advertising or failing to pay room taxes, carry fines starting at $250 per day.
Maine
Maine regulators are taking steps to implement new rules for short-term rentals in the state's unorganized territories. Initially, property owners will be required to register their rentals with the Land Use Planning Commission, which will help the state gather data on the growing sector.
You can also read it here.
The next phase of rule-making will address standards related to parking, wastewater disposal, and other concerns, following feedback from property owners and residents. The registration process will be free, and regulators hope it will ease the transition to more detailed regulations, particularly in response to concerns about noise and waste management.
Glens Falls, NY
The Glens Falls Common Council is preparing to finalize regulations on short-term rentals, following a delay at their Dec. 10 meeting to extend the public comment period. The proposed rules, which will go to a public hearing soon, include zoning restrictions and a five-year grace period for non-hosted rentals in residential areas.
Some concerns have been raised about the potential impact on property owners who are already in the process of renovating properties to meet the new guidelines. The city will continue discussions on the issue during a workshop on Dec. 17.
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