🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Draws the Line: New Ordinance Targets Short-Term Rentals
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Pittsburgh Draws the Line on Short-Term Rentals
The Steel City is finally drawing a hard line on short-term rentals. After months of mounting concern over unregulated Airbnb-style operations, Councilwoman Deb Gross has introduced a new ordinance that could shake things up for STR operators citywide.
The legislation tightens how and where short-term rentals (STRs) can operate in Pittsburgh. Under the proposal, STRs would be strictly limited to overnight stays for registered guests only — meaning no more parties, events, or pop-up hospitality businesses in neighborhood homes. In short: no more turning your Airbnb into a makeshift nightclub.
The bill also caps how many STRs can operate in multi-unit buildings. Structures with 20 or fewer units would be allowed a max of two STRs, while larger buildings could host up to five. In neighborhoods where STRs are only allowed by special exception, property owners would be limited to just one STR per lot.
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Gross, representing Highland Park, said the changes were “long overdue.” She emphasized that the goal is to keep Pittsburgh’s housing stock in the hands of residents, not corporations.
“We need to make sure our homes remain homes — not hotels,” she said.
To ensure compliance, all STR operators would need to secure a license from the city. That’s a big shift for many currently operating without any formal oversight.
Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration is fully backing the plan. His spokesperson, Olga George, didn’t mince words:
“Short-term rental operators are turning homes into unlicensed hotels.” She said the city needs enforceable rules to curb rent hikes, displacement, and neighborhood disruptions — all issues increasingly tied to STR growth.
The bill heads to City Council for deeper discussion next week, and public feedback is expected to play a role in refining the details.
Pittsburgh joins a growing list of U.S. cities looking to get a handle on the booming short-term rental market, which has seen rapid growth but little regulation until now. Stay tuned — big changes could be on the horizon for Pittsburgh’s rental scene.
✍️👉To register for public comment and receive three (3) minutes to speak at Council’s Regular and Standing Committees meetings, and Council’s Public Hearings, please use the online Speaker Signup form, filling it out in its entirety; or you may register by calling the City Clerk's office at (412) 255-2138.
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