🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Belton, MO
Belton Takes First Step Toward Legalizing Short-Term Rentals—With Tight Limits
Belton Takes a Test-Drive: Council Inches Toward Short-Term Rental Rules
Belton is finally cracking open the door to short-term rentals, and after years of debate, the city is taking a cautious, test-drive approach.
At its latest meeting, the Belton City Council moved forward with the first reading of an ordinance that would legally allow short-term rentals. The catch? The city wants to start very small, limiting these rentals to Old Town and properties with at least three acres.
Planning staff laid out the foundations of the proposal through a series of Unified Development Code amendments. Under the draft, short-term rentals would only be allowed through a special-use permit and tied to a long list of operational expectations. Owners would need to register their property, pass an inspection, comply with occupancy limits, and follow new operational rules. They’d also be responsible for collecting the city’s hotel/motel taxes.
The price tag for jumping in is $270 upfront: a $70 registration fee, a $50 inspection fee, and a $150 special-use permit. Annual inspections are also required, with most enforcement triggered by complaints. Hosts would need to keep their city license posted, ready to show that they’re playing by the rules. If problems arise like noise issues, messy guests, too many cars, neighbors can file complaints that will prompt city follow-up.
Not everyone is thrilled with the limited geographic proposal. The Planning Commission had previously favored a citywide approach, voting 6–1 to open the door for STRs everywhere as long as owners met the same standards. Commissioners had shared concerns that confining STRs to Old Town and a handful of large-lot properties would push the market into a bottleneck. Even so, staff stuck with the narrower approach for the council’s first reading.
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Council members weren’t shy about raising questions. Staff acknowledged the challenges: discovering rogue listings can be difficult, and noise complaints often rely on neighbors taking legal steps. Still, they stressed that annual inspections and a clear complaint path would help manage issues as they arise.
Despite around 200–250 properties falling within the qualifying zones, planning staff predicted only a handful would likely convert to short-term rentals. Even so, several council members voiced preference for a slow rollout, allowing Belton to learn from real-world experience before scaling citywide. The council also floated whether rentals should be limited to entire units or whether single-room listings should be allowed, with city legal staff noting the ordinance could go either way.
Ultimately, the council approved the first reading as written. What comes next? Future meetings will bring additional readings, proposed amendments, and the full public-hearing process for hosts seeking special-use permits. In other words, Belton’s STR chapter is only just beginning and residents should stay tuned as the city shapes what this new era will look like.
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