By Jasmine Ruth Albatana in Regulations — 16 Sep 2026

Short-Term Rentals: Daily Notes | September 16, 2026

Cities address STRs. Chincoteague, VA sets two-night minimum; Folly Beach, SC revives cap without fee; Kalispell, MT rejects ward-by-ward caps; Opelika, AL weighs 1.5% license tax; Geneva, NY closes three-unit exemption; Kauai County, HI. 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. 📰

CHINCOTEAGUE, VA

A two-night minimum stay and one off-street parking space for every two guests become law for Chincoteague's roughly 750 short-term rentals on January 1, 2027 after Town Council approved a new ordinance at a public hearing on September 8, 2026. The chamber overflowed into hallways and the sidewalk as council also set occupancy limits.

Chincoteague’s new short-term rental ordinance sets occupancy, parking and minimum-stay requirements beginning January 1, 2027.| Source: https://chincoteague-va.gov/

Mayor Denise Bowden said the rules are reasonable regulations to protect the island's character and quality of life rather than an attempt to eliminate rentals. The vote comes three months after council rejected a ban on new rentals in ten R-1 neighborhoods in June 2026.

FOLLY BEACH, SC

An 800-license cap on non-owner-occupied rentals is coming back to Folly Beach even though a Charleston County judge struck it down on August 14, 2026. City Council voted to move forward with an ordinance that largely reinstates the short-term rental framework while dropping the registration fee the court called an unauthorized tax.

Folly Beach approves second reading of ordinance on short-term rentals

https://t.co/NLnRa0pBAF #chsnews
— Quintin Washington (@QuintinReports) September 16, 2026

Councilman Blair Holladay cast the only no vote and asked how the city plans to refund fees it now concedes were unjust. Owners who paid 1.75% of rental income since 2022 filed a class action on September 3, 2026 seeking refunds while residents urged council to wait for a pending rental study.

KALISPELL, MT

A 2% citywide cap on short-term rentals will stay in place in Kalispell after Mayor Ryan Hunter's push to apply the limit ward by ward found little support at the September 14, 2026 City Council work session. Hunter argued a per-ward cap would keep neighborhoods from becoming ghost towns and noted rentals already make up just over 2% of housing in the downtown historic district ward.

Kalispell Development Services reported 115 active short-term rentals as of June 2026, including 86 in residential zones, just 0.76% of the city’s residential housing stock. | Source: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/

Kalispell maps show housing units and short-term rentals across the city’s four wards with 115 active rentals as of June 2026. | Source: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/

Councilor Kari Gabriel said she hates to hem in a resident's ability to pay a mortgage while City Manager Jarod Nygren reported the rental share has slipped since 2020 and pledged to keep monitoring under the 2016 permitting and inspection rules.

OPELIKA, AL

Short-term rental hosts in Opelika would pay a 1.5% license tax on annual gross receipts on top of lodging tax, submit to fire and home inspections and keep a 24/7 contact in Lee County under a rental licensing proposal the City Council set aside on September 15, 2026 for a later meeting. The draft also requires a license before any listing goes live and allows revocation after a second violation within 12 months.

The same ordinance would license all residential rentals at 1.5% of gross receipts with a $100 minimum, tax commercial rentals at one-fortieth of 1% of revenue and require quarterly filings from multifamily owners earning over $1 million a year.

GENEVA, NY

A 3% occupancy tax that hotels and bed and breakfasts already pay would extend to short-term rentals in Geneva under a local law the City Council is expected to launch this week. The resolution is the first of two required approvals and council plans a public hearing on October 7, 2026.

Geneva Mayor Jim Cecere’s Sept. 15 briefing outlines a proposed local law extending the city’s existing room occupancy tax to short-term rentals. | Source: https://www.cityofgenevany.gov/

Mayor Jim Cecere said rentals with three or fewer units are exempt today which creates an unequal competitive landscape and deprives the city of revenue, though he has no estimate yet. The move tracks Ontario County supervisors who want to raise their tax from 3% to 6% and drop the same exemption.

KAUAI COUNTY, HI

Thousands of dollars in prepaid Vrbo bookings are stuck with Kauai vacation rental owners who refuse refunds to guests trying to stay away after Hurricane Lowell hit the island overnight September 7 to 8, 2026. California traveler Preston Lane who is due in October and Montana's Lisa Dietz both tried to cancel after officials asked visitors not to interfere with cleanup. Dietz said she would feel terrible staying in a rental next to a struggling neighbor.

Travel adviser Candice Zimring suggests rescheduling through mid-October while keeping later trips so recovery does not lose tourism income. Vrbo had not responded and complaints can go to the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection.

🎤 Episode Title: Meta Just Entered Travel. STR Operators Should Notice.
🎤 Episode: Good Morning Hospitality
📻 Listen: https://skift.com/skift-travel-podcasts/

Greenville City Council approved the largest single annexation in city history, adding 135 acres along Woodruff Road and I-385.

Also discussed: Swamp Rabbit Trail improvements, utility undergrounding and short-term rental rules.https://t.co/L8jxdadxJf
— Greenville Journal (@gvljournal) September 16, 2026

"On Monday night, the City Council unanimously approved a new ordinance that includes an enforcement plan, pricey penalties and new rules for VRBOs, Airbnbs and other vacation rentals. It takes effect mid-October."
— Stephen Hero (@odonnchadha) September 15, 2026

Duluth bars new vacation rentals from single-family homes https://t.co/MgQBuNqUyI
— Pioneer Press (@PioneerPress) September 15, 2026

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