Short-Term Rentals: Weekly Briefing | September 21 - 24, 2026 (38)

🔝 Top Stories

• Maui County, HI: The Planning Commission voted 6-2 to recommend denying exemptions for 43 of 48 properties seeking to escape Bill 9 which ends roughly 6,100 apartment-zoned rentals by December 31, 2028 in West Maui and December 31, 2030 in South Maui while five properties covering 397 units led by Hale Kaanapali were approved for hotel zoning.
• Folly Beach, SC: City Council voted 4-3 on September 22 to consent to moving the 800-license cap case to the South Carolina Supreme Court after plaintiffs Elizabeth Spratt Cooper and Park Lane Partners requested the transfer on September 18.
• Washington, DC: Bill 26-757, the Illegal Occupancy Enforcement Amendment Act of 2026 that Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced in July at Mayor Muriel Bowser's request, faced a public hearing on September 24 on treating short-term rental guests who stay past their contract as trespassers.
• Texas: The Senate Economic Development Committee met September 22 to review hotel occupancy tax collection and oversight ahead of the 2027 legislative session with local governments holding $633 million in unspent hotel tax at the end of fiscal 2025 and Dallas collecting $219 million in its convention center financing zone.
• Alameda, CA: City Council advanced an ordinance 3-1 on September 15 limiting hosts to renting their own primary residence with Mayor Ashcraft, Vice Mayor Pryor, and Councilmember Daysog in favor while Councilmember Jensen abstained and Councilmember Boller recused.
• Truckee, CA: Idle permits could lose their spot under the 1,255-certificate cap after Town Council gave direction to move forward with options for changing registration rules as staff proposed a $500 minimum in transient occupancy tax remittance and Visit Truckee Tahoe pushed a $1,000 threshold.

📍 Regional Highlights

• Rockport, ME: The Select Board voted 5-0 on September 14 to send a Rental Housing Unit Ordinance to the November 3 ballot that would require annual registration and a certificate of occupancy for every rental unit including short-term rentals.
• Summerville, SC: Town Council approved the Magnolia Historic Southern Inn rezoning 5-2 on September 17 to move the short-term rental at 115 S. Magnolia St. from general residential to neighborhood mixed-use after nearly two years of neighborhood conflict.
• Mesa County, CO: Commissioners rejected a neighbor's appeal on September 15 and let a 32-guest rental with seven bedrooms and 17 beds at 123 Mesa Vista Road keep its approval as Commissioner Cody Davis called current conditions "the wild west for short-term rentals."
• Shell Lake, WI: The 10-guest ceiling stays in place after City Council voted unanimously on September 14 to keep its ordinance as is and turned down owner Jeremy Beecroft's request for two guests per bedroom plus four in a seven-bedroom property.
• Isle, MN: The city reached its 25-rental cap when City Council approved one more rental on Main Street and denied a second application because no building appeared to exist on the site.
• Fresno County, CA: Owners of vacation homes and rentals targeted by deed thieves can file a Real Property Fraud Prevention Notice under an ordinance that takes effect October 8 asking title companies and notaries to verify identity before a transaction closes.
• Indianapolis, IN: One person was struck by gunfire around 4:38 a.m. on September 20 in the 1000 block of Harrison Street where officers reported prior party problems at nearby short-term rentals and city records show at least three registered rentals between the 900 and 1000 blocks.
• Bayonne, NJ: Residents of West 42nd Street brought complaints about a noisy party house and a spread of short-term rentals to City Council under rules that already require an STRP license and cap rentals at 60 days per calendar year.

✅ New Ordinances Approved

• West Columbia, SC: City Council voted to set new zoning requirements taking effect October 7 with a $150 annual permit, a two-night minimum, a 21-and-older renter rule, occupancy of two per bedroom, no visitors from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., a ban on renters living within 25 miles, and $100 fines for violations.
• Plainfield, NJ: City Council granted final approval to a 310-night annual rental limit on the third ordinance introduced in ten months after a version that cleared first reading 6-1 in October 2025 stalled and a revised draft failed in July 2026.
• Oak Ridge North, TX: Owners who let their address on file go stale now face a one-year ban on reapplying for a permit after City Council approved updated regulations 5-1 on September 14 with immediate effect.
• Dexter Township, MI: Bed and breakfast owners must now sleep on-site whenever guests do under zoning standards the Township Board approved on September 15 which add a formal short-term rental definition while keeping short-term rentals prohibited.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Chatham County, GA: Commissioners take up amendments on September 25 requiring licenses for anyone renting, operating, or advertising short-term rentals in unincorporated areas with Airbnb or VRBO listings counting as evidence of rental use.
• New London, CT: City officials plan to revisit short-term rental regulation with a new state law in hand after a 2019 ordinance addressing vehicle parking stalled without a vote.
• Shaftsbury, VT: Commissioners floated $50 or $25 alternatives after owner Art Whitman objected to the $150 annual fee in a draft bylaw that would open rentals to all zoning districts and needs two Selectboard hearings before a vote.
• Keweenaw County, MI: A text amendment creating a countywide annual permit would bring every township under one regime as residents at a Mohawk community meeting pressed for stiff licensing fees and density caps.
• Buena Vista, CO: Trustees took up another short-term rental ordinance weeks after adopting Ordinance 14, Series 2026 on a 3-2 vote on August 25 while an emergency moratorium under Ordinance 1, Series 2026 runs through September 30.
• Paradise Township, PA: Supervisors voted 4-0 on September 15 to advertise a zoning amendment requiring yearly permits backed by smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, posted exit routes, 24-hour local contacts, and zoning officer inspections.
• East Lyme, CT: Local opponents called proposed regulations "unworkable and a de facto ban" as the town moves to regulate rentals for the first time with permit caps, district limits, ownership restrictions, safety inspections, and occupancy tied to bedroom count.
• Westerly, RI: The Town Council requested legal review of a possible moratorium at its September 21 workshop after the town manager floated a townwide cap of 90 or 120 rental days a year with action expected after the November elections.
• Southold, NY: Supervisor Al Krupski said a public hearing could be set at the Town Board's next meeting once members settle on a percentage cap for short-term rentals.
• Pittsford, NY: The Board of Trustees reviewed a grandfather exception for about three properties that ran short-term rentals before the village ban and Mayor Alysa Plummer noted they operated for years without complaints.
• Valdosta, GA: A permit requirement for the city's more than 300 short-term rentals is now expected in a November 2026 draft ordinance with possible implementation in January 2027.
• Kuttawa, KY: City Council discussed a transient tax and new rules on September 21 and asked for language that treats properties rented up to six weeks a year as owner-occupied.
• Glenwood Springs, CO: Permit holders would have to show at least 10 rental nights over each two-year renewal period under a code amendment the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended 6-1 on August 25 with 126 active permits counted against the 210-permit cap.
• Waitsfield, VT: The Planning Commission presented a registry proposal to the Select Board modeled on a Vermont League of Cities and Towns template and Planning and Zoning Administrator JB Weir estimates the town has 150 to 160 rentals.
• Townsend, TN: Newly sworn-in commissioners discussed a draft ordinance that would prohibit new short-term rentals in the R-1 Residential zone, an area covering about half the city.
• Norfolk, VA: City Council reviewed an overlay at a September 15 work session that would block any new vacation rental within 300 feet of an existing one west of 3rd View Street in Willoughby.
• Skokie, IL: A $550 fee schedule and one-night minimum for owner-occupied rentals remain unadopted because the ordinance trustees endorsed 5-1 on September 8 is absent from the September 22 Village Board agenda.

📅 Future Meetings

• Chatham County, GA: Commissioners vote on the licensing amendments September 25.
• Southold, NY: Town Hall hosts a housing-code explanation September 29.
• Keweenaw County, MI: The countywide permit goes before a Planning Commission public hearing at the courthouse October 5.
• Paradise Township, PA: Fees and effective dates are still pending ahead of the next board meeting October 20.
• Rockport, ME: Voters decide the Rental Housing Unit Ordinance November 3.
• Townsend, TN: A decision on the R-1 ban could come as early as November.

🖱️ Click of the Week: See What Everyone’s Reading

Abu Dhabi updates holiday home regulations to strengthen sector

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has introduced updated holiday home regulations aimed at clarifying licensing, operational, inspection and compliance requirements for the sector

TradeArabiaABU DHABI

📱 Social Buzz

🎤 Episode Title: Where to Search for Your STR in 2026
🎤 Episode: Short Term Rental Problems and Solutions
📻 Listen: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/b380f47c9e7523dd5b4a918a2aeeebaecb7fca237a6f820527b01650f0d3148f/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIxY2I1YWQxMC1mNzhlLTRiNGQtYTk3NC0zMDgyZmQzNTcwNTIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJlY2MxMzgzZi0yNjJhLTQxNWMtYmY0MS1kZmZiZDU4ZWJiZDYiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTcyYzRhYTFlYjJhMDRjNGNhNDljYTYiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmFiNDk4NmM1YTBkYWIwOWMzZjVkZjQ0L2plcmVtaWFocy1zdHVkaW8tZlMwNUMtMjAyNi05LTI0X18zLTI2LTM2Lm1wMyJ9.mp3

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Short-Term Rentals: Daily Notes | September 24, 2026

Cities address STRs. West Columbia, SC rules effective; Shell Lake, WI ordinance unchanged; Washington, DC hearing set; Maui County, HI exemptions denied; Truckee, CA idle permits; Folly Beach, SC appeal transfer. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsJas Albatana

Short-Term Rentals: Daily Notes | September 23, 2026

Cities address STRs. Oak Ridge North, TX adds one-year ban; Plainfield, NJ passes on third try; Southold, NY sets percentage cap; Westerly, RI eyes 90-day limit; Pittsford, NY grandfather debate; Valdosta, GA moratorium vote; Kuttawa, KY; Glenwood Springs, CO; Texas; Isle, MN. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsJas Albatana

Short-Term Rentals: Daily Notes | September 22, 2026

Cities address STRs. Chatham County, GA sets licensing vote; New London, CT revisits rules; Shaftsbury, VT weighs $150 fee; Keweenaw County, MI plans permits; Buena Vista, CO; Paradise Township, PA; East Lyme, CT; Folly Beach, SC; Mesa County, CO; Indianapolis, IN. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsJas Albatana

Short-Term Rentals: Daily Notes | September 21, 2026

Cities address STRs. Dexter Township, MI tightens B&B rules; Alameda, CA limits to primary homes; Rockport, ME ballot set; Waitsfield, VT registry proposed; Townsend, TN R-1 ban drafted; Norfolk, VA 300-foot buffer; Skokie, IL fees stall; Bayonne, NJ; Fresno County, CA; Summerville, SC. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsJas Albatana

Social Listening 🎧: Podcast

Policy talk doesn’t just happen in the news cycle—it can also live in long-form audio. Strisker’s Podcast Signal turns hours of episodes into actionable insight, indexing transcripts so you can surface key mentions of STRs, data centers, ordinances, and local decision-makers in seconds.

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