🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Pennsylvania
Bill Seeks STR Standards Across Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving to regulate short-term rentals statewide.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Push for STR Framework
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Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving to regulate short-term rentals statewide. Reps. Lindsay Powell, Jennifer M. O’Mara, and Mary Jo Daley introduced H.B. 2303, a bill designed to create consistent standards for STRs.
The bill, H.B. 2303, is based on recommendations from a nonpartisan study conducted by the Joint State Government Commission, which was directed by a 2024 House Resolution sponsored by Powell and O’Mara. The measure aims to create consistent standards for short-term rental properties while preserving flexibility for local communities.
Powell cited public safety concerns as a driving force. “On New Year’s Eve, a member of our community was seriously injured in a violent incident at a short-term rental in my district. This was the second such event in the same neighborhood in recent years – the prior taking the lives of two teenagers,” she said. “This bill strikes a necessary balance of protecting public safety, supporting responsible operators, and ensuring transparency for local officials and law enforcement.”
Greg Barton
Daley, chair of the House Tourism, Recreation & Economic Development Committee, emphasized the need for accountability. “Thoughtful guidelines for short-term rentals help protect homeowners, hosts and guests, protect the character and safety of our neighborhoods and ensure that tourism from all of it can grow responsibly,” she said.
O’Mara added that the short-term rental market has surged in recent years due to online booking sites. “It’s time we have consistent statewide standards that protect visitors and support responsible hosts,” she said.
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Among its provisions, the legislation would establish countywide registries of short-term rental properties, require designation of a 24/7 “person in charge” for each property, create distinct categories for homestay operators, vacation rental operators, and corporate operators, and implement baseline safety standards with enhanced requirements for larger-scale operators.
The House Tourism Committee will hold a public hearing on March 25, with testimony from the Joint State Government Commission, rental operators, and industry trade associations.
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