🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Kenton County, KY
Northern Kentucky Mayors Resist State Push on STRs
Short‑term rental regulations are once again under fire in Frankfort, and local leaders in Kenton County aren’t happy about it.
Senate Bill 112, introduced Jan. 21 by Sen. Craig Richardson of Hopkinsville, would ban cities and counties from enacting rules such as licensing requirements, density caps, and residency mandates for short‑term rental owners.
For mayors across Northern Kentucky, that’s a problem. “We want to oppose that,” said Taylor Mill Mayor Dan Bell during a Jan. 24 meeting of the Kenton County Mayors Group. “So we can’t have a proliferation of short‑term rentals throughout whatever city you’re in.”
The bill is the latest in a series of attempts by state legislators to curtail local oversight of short‑term rentals, often referred to as Airbnbs. Fort Mitchell Mayor Greg Pohlgeers noted that Airbnb is spending heavily on lobbyists in Frankfort, a claim consistent with the company’s past efforts to roll back local rules.
State Reps. Kim Banta, Stephanie Dietz, and Kim Moser attended the meeting. Moser briefly framed the issue as one of “property rights,” but Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman dismissed that as “a shallow argument.” He pointed out that zoning has always been a tool to balance property use with community impact.
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The mayors’ concerns echo debates about the effects of short‑term rentals on housing and neighborhoods. Studies have shown that increases in Airbnb listings can drive up rents and home prices. A 2020 analysis found that a 1% rise in listings led to a 0.018% increase in rents and a 0.026% increase in house prices, translating to $9 more in monthly rent and $1,800 in home values annually for the median zip code.
Local leaders fear that without regulation, tourism‑heavy areas along the river could morph into de facto hotel districts, hollowing out residential neighborhoods.
Senate Bill 112 is awaiting committee assignment. Local leaders say they’ll keep pressing to preserve their authority, arguing that decisions about short‑term rentals should stay close to home.
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