Weekly Regulatory Briefing (45)
Each week, we bring together the biggest updates in short-term rental regulations from coast to coast. Whether it’s fresh local regulations, emerging trends, or major discussions, our briefing provides all you need to stay in the know.
🏡 Top Stories This Week
- 🌳 Park Township, MI: A major decision looms as a judge considers a lawsuit challenging Park Township’s residential rental ban. Park Township Neighbors, a group of rental property owners, sued the township for enforcing a decades-old ordinance to ban rentals without public input - the ordinance:
- 🏙️ New York, NY: Mayor Eric Adams has signed the “Safe Hotels Act” (Intro. 0991), establishing new safety and staffing standards for NYC hotels to protect both workers and guests. Hotels must now maintain a front desk presence, add security for larger properties, train employees to identify human trafficking and equip staff with panic buttons. Read more about it here: The New York City Council
🌍 Regional Highlights
New York: Regulations across New York are evolving in response to community concerns and a need for stronger safety measures. NYC's new “Safe Hotels Act” raises standards for hotels, while smaller cities like Buffalo and Chester are considering restrictions on short-term rentals (STRs) to preserve neighborhood integrity.
📜 New Ordinances Approved
- 🛌 Athens, AL: Last week, Athens introduced an ordinance requiring STR operators to obtain a business license and pay a lodging tax. The ordinance specifies that rentals must be entire homes or apartments, excluding room rentals, and it currently affects about 10 properties in the city.
- ⏸️ Normal, IL: Voted November 4, Normal has imposed a six-month moratorium on new STRs - effective Dec. 1, 2024. Current STRs must obtain a business license by the end of the month, and officials are considering measures such as owner-occupancy requirements, minimum stay lengths, and density limits. A permanent solution may be enacted before the moratorium concludes on June 1, 2025.
- 🏠 Norfork, AR: In a recent vote, Norfork residents allowed short-term rentals to continue citywide.
- 🏘️ Portland, ME: Portland approved a cap on STRs in a ballot vote, restricting STRs to 1.5% of total rental units, approximately 290 units citywide. Existing licenses will remain valid, but no new licenses will be issued until numbers fall within this threshold.
- 💲 St. Louis, MO: Two ordinances have been approved in the city:
- Proposition S, which introduces a 3% fee on the nightly rate charged by short-term rental operators. A portion of the fee revenue will fund the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
- The city now also mandates current operators required to apply for a permit by May 6, 2025.
Dane Artisola
Read more about this in our notes from 11/06/24.
💬 Catch Up on Discussions
- 📜 Centerville, OH: A proposed ordinance in Centerville could require STR registration, an annual $100 license fee, and occupancy, parking, inspections, and age limits for guests. The ordinance will cap occupancy at two adults per bedroom and set a minimum booking age of 25.
- 📈 Schaumburg, IL: Schaumburg officials are considering stricter STR rules, including higher fees, distance requirements, and prohibiting corporate ownership. A review is scheduled for Nov. 21.
Dane Artisola
We covered the proposed regulations in a daily note this week!
- 🌅 Ventura, CA: Ventura's Planning Commission has proposed STR limits by neighborhood, potentially capping rentals per area and introducing biennial permit renewals. These changes aim to balance STR growth with neighborhood preservation. The City Council will review the proposal on Nov. 19, with a final decision expected by Dec. 10.
- 🏈 Green Bay, WI: Officials are considering tighter STR regulations, including a six-night minimum stay requirement, to address neighborhood concerns and affordability issues ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Public discussions will continue on Nov. 14.
- ⚖️ McKinney, TX: During a work session on Nov. 5, The City Council discussed STR regulation updates, focusing on neighborhood impact and tax compliance. Initial steps suggest potential zoning adjustments and stricter enforcement under nuisance laws.
- 🏘️ Chester, NY: The village of Chester is considering a complete ban on short-term rentals. The proposed law would still permit bed and breakfasts, as owners are required to be on-site.
- 🌇 Buffalo, NY: Buffalo City Council is considering temporarily suspending new permits for non-owner-occupied short-term rentals in specific residential zones. If approved, the moratorium would remain in effect until March 1, 2025. Learn more: WKBW 7 News Buffalo.
- 📅 Fayetteville, AR: On a November 6 meeting, Fayetteville's Ordinance Review Committee recommended extending its STR ordinance's sunset clause to July 1, 2025, allowing further adjustments.
- 🗾 Cass County, MN: At a recent hearing last November 5, Cass County officials reviewed a proposed short-term rental ordinance, which would introduce regulations such as yearly licensing requirements with tiered fees based on occupancy. After public feedback on STR licensing fees and regulations, officials returned the ordinance to the planning board for revisions.
Dane Artisola
The proposed ordinance can be found in our notes from yesterday
Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends 🌱
As cities nationwide grapple with the evolving role of short-term rentals, new strategies are emerging to address community, safety, and affordability concerns.
What this means:
👥 Community Voices Shape Policy: Across states, local communities are increasingly influential in shaping STR regulations to preserve neighborhood character. From Green Bay, WI, where officials seek public input amid NFL Draft preparations, to Ventura, CA, where the Planning Commission has proposed neighborhood-based permit caps, it’s clear that resident concerns over housing, noise, and neighborhood stability are driving tailored, community-focused policies.
💻Platform Accountability in Compliance: With cities like Portland, ME, adopting stricter caps and compliance expectations, platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo are facing greater responsibility to enforce local laws.
🏘️ Innovative Solutions Address Housing Affordability: From vacancy taxes, like South Lake Tahoe’s proposal, to affordable housing fees seen in St. Louis, cities are leveraging STR regulation to fund affordable housing and public projects. As these approaches gain traction, expect to see more jurisdictions explore innovative measures to balance STR benefits with pressing community needs.
📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:
🔔 Schaumburg IL officials will review changes to the proposed regulations.
🔔 Ventura CA City Council will review proposed changes on new short-term rental restrictions.
💬 Greenbay, WI: Local officials will continue to listen to more public testimonies as they consider tighter rules on short-term rentals.
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