🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - St. Clairsville, OH
St. Clairsville Begins Exploring STR Guidelines, Citing Need to Get Ahead of Growth
Council Debates: To Regulate or Not to Regulate Short-Term Rentals?
In St. Clairsville, the buzz around short-term rentals has officially reached City Hall. Planning and zoning administrator Tom Murphy recently asked City Council if it was time to consider local guidelines for Airbnb-type properties. While he has no personal stance on the matter, Murphy said it’s important to be proactive.
The city already has clear rules for bed-and-breakfasts, but nothing addressing Airbnb-style stays. “Communities usually separate bed-and-breakfasts and Airbnbs—they’re different animals,” Murphy explained, noting that parking and neighborhood balance often come into play.
Council member Mike Smith leaned toward minimal interference, suggesting that unless problems arise, regulations might be unnecessary. Currently, only two short-term rentals exist within the city, and neither has caused issues.
Council member Audry Brahler, who’s in the process of turning her own property into an Airbnb, added that the process itself is demanding. “It’s pretty well self-regulated,” she said, describing Airbnb’s standards for parking, guest behavior, and maintenance.
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Others on council brought up related rental concerns. Kristi Lipscomb expressed frustration with poorly maintained long-term rentals but said short-term rental hosts tend to take better care of their properties. “They keep it up because guests rate them—it’s a built-in quality check,” she said.
While the focus was on Airbnb-style housing, Police Chief Matt Arbenz raised another housing issue: unregulated rehab homes. He reported neighborhood complaints after a private home near a school was turned into a recovery facility. However, city law director Joe Vavra reminded council that such homes are federally protected under housing laws, limiting the city’s authority.
For now, the council seems split—some favoring preparation through light guidelines, others preferring to wait until there’s a problem. Either way, the discussion marks St. Clairsville’s first real step toward defining how it wants to handle the rise of short-term rentals in its community.
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