🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - St. Louis, MO
Judge’s Order Halts STR Enforcement, Leaving Residents Frustrated Despite Approved Ordinance
St. Louis Drops the Ball on STR Enforcement Despite Green Light from Judge
It’s been nearly a year since St. Louis joined the ranks of cities trying to rein in short-term rentals (STRs), but despite having a full set of approved rules ready to go, enforcement remains at a standstill—and residents are fed up.
Back in late 2024, the city’s Board of Aldermen passed a comprehensive STR ordinance aimed at balancing investor interests with neighborhood quality of life. The law required permits, 24/7 local contacts for complaints, a two-night minimum stay, and a ban on party rentals. It was supposed to take effect in May 2025—until Judge Joseph Whyte temporarily blocked the measure over concerns about a $150 annual licensing fee and restrictions on business-owned properties.
Here’s the twist: by June 9, the judge had already modified his order, allowing the city to enforce everything except the fee and business ownership provisions. In other words, St. Louis could have started enforcing nearly all of its STR rules months ago—but didn’t.
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Apparently, city officials simply missed the update. Alderman Bret Narayan, who sponsored the law, said he only learned recently that enforcement could have resumed, and that the mayor’s office had discouraged him from introducing new legislation while litigation continued. Mayor Cara Spencer now says she still wants to tweak the ordinance before enforcing it, emphasizing that regulations must protect residents while still allowing rentals “to exist within the framework of our community.”
But for neighbors living next to party houses, patience has worn thin. Residents like Michelle and Steve Pona of Southwest Garden say their area remains overrun with STRs that host large groups and party buses. Others point to more serious issues—a teen girl shot in Carondelet and a man wounded in Gravois Park after STR-related gatherings.
Some aldermen say there’s no excuse for inaction. Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer has called for immediate enforcement of the uncontested parts of the law, noting that public safety should take precedence.
The city’s delay—blamed partly on litigation confusion and even post-tornado recovery—has left residents questioning whether leaders are serious about STR regulation. For now, St. Louis’s “pause” looks less like caution and more like a costly oversight.
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