Weekly Regulatory Briefing (15)
Each week, we bring together the biggest updates in short-term rental regulations from coast to coast. Whether it’s fresh local regulations, emerging trends, or major discussions, our briefing provides all you need to stay in the know.
Each week, we bring together the biggest updates in short-term rental regulations from coast to coast. Whether it’s fresh local regulations, emerging trends, or major discussions, our briefing provides all you need to stay in the know.
🏡 Top Stories This Week
- 🏙️ New Braunfels, TX: The legal battle over New Braunfels’ short-term rental ban in residential areas is progressing as attorneys representing property owners have filed an appeal after the district court ruled in favor of the city.
- 🌴 Indian Rocks Beach, FL: Indian Rocks Beach has launched a new compliance program for short-term rentals introducing a 24/7 hotline and online portal where residents can report violations such as noise, illegal parking, or trash issues.
🌍 Regional Highlights
- 🏞️ Idaho: Idaho lawmakers rejected a bill this week that aimed to significantly limit what local governments can require of short-term rental owners, including stripping rules around inspections, fire safety upgrades, occupancy data reporting, and even mandatory property management.
- 🌲 Washington: Washington lawmakers are advancing House Bill 5576 which would allow local governments to double their current excise tax on short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO from 2% to 4%, aiming to raise funds for affordable housing and services amid a growing housing shortage and homelessness crisis.
📜 New Ordinances Approved
- 🏘️ East Haven, CT: East Haven passed a long-debated short-term rental ordinance set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026 introducing sweeping new rules including a controversial requirement that only full-time residents can operate STRs.
💬 Catch Up on Discussions
- 🏖️ Galveston, TX: Galveston leaders and vacation rental advocates are pushing back against Texas House Bill 2767 which would strip cities of key short-term rental (STR) enforcement tools by preventing local governments from requiring platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to share user information or post registration numbers.
- 🌆 Houston, TX: The Houston City Council delayed a vote this week on its long-awaited short-term rental ordinance.
- 🏡 St. Charles, MO: St. Charles is weighing a new plan that would effectively freeze the expansion of short-term rentals citywide, replacing its current moratorium with strict, permanent limits.
- 🌊 Provincetown, MA: Provincetown’s April 7 town meeting includes a significant short-term rental proposal under Article 23, which would cap the number of STR certificates at 1,000—a slight increase over the town’s current 950.
- 🎸 Austin, TX: Austin’s new ordinance requiring all short-term rentals to pay an 11% hotel occupancy tax officially took effect April 1, with platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo now collecting the fee directly from guests.
- 🗳️ Lewisville, TX: Lewisville is taking a step toward potential short-term rental regulation by asking residents to weigh in through a public survey released by Neighborhood Services.
- 🏔️ Paonia, CO: Paonia voters overwhelmingly repealed the town’s short-term rental ordinance on April 1, overturning a law that would have capped STR licenses at 30 and enforced various compliance measures.
- 🏘️ Wellsboro, PA: Wellsboro Borough’s amended short-term rental ordinance is drawing pushback from absentee owners of grandfathered properties.
- 🏡 The Colony, TX: The Colony City Council is continuing its efforts to regulate short-term rentals (STRs) within the city.
- 🏙️ St. Louis, MO: St. Louis has implemented new regulations for short-term rentals, requiring property owners to apply for a permit by May 6.
- 🏠 Highland Heights, OH: Highland Heights City Council has strengthened its penalties for violating the city’s six-month moratorium on short-term rentals which began in January.
- 🌄 Washington, UT: Washington City officials have strengthened their short-term rental regulations with a new ordinance aimed at improving safety and ensuring compliance.
- 🌲 Ruidoso, NM: Ruidoso, New Mexico has enacted Ordinance 2025-01 to regulate short-term residential rentals, ensuring these properties align with updated building codes and community safety standards.
- 🏜️ Clark County, NV: Clark County is working to address a backlog in short-term rental applications while cracking down on illegal rentals.
- 🌊 Ocean City, MD: Ocean City’s latest regulatory efforts on short-term rentals have sparked questions about the intent behind the policy especially as hotel occupancy dips and STRs see continued growth.
- 🏞️ Wake County, NC: Wake County is considering a major change to its short-term rental rules by removing the current requirement that property owners live in the homes they rent.
- 🌴 Santa Barbara County, CA: Santa Barbara County is reminding short-term rental and homestay operators that a permit is required for properties in the Inland Area.
- 🏘️ Yardley, PA: Yardley Borough Council is moving forward with a new short-term rental ordinance that will regulate short-term lodging (STL) in commercial zones.
- 🧭 Pullman, WA: Pullman City Council reviewed a detailed short-term rental proposal following a months-long planning process.
- 🏔️ South Lake Tahoe, CA: South Lake Tahoe will not appeal a court decision that overturned Measure T, a voter-approved law that banned most short-term rentals in residential areas.
- 🌲 Hood River, OR: Hood River’s short-term rental ordinance has been upheld in federal court, reinforcing the city’s rule that STR operators in residential zones must live on-site or have a full-time tenant who does.
- 🌊 Nantucket, MA: Nantucket's short-term rental tax revenue fell 27% last summer compared to 2023, marking one of the lowest tax earnings from vacation rentals since the state imposed the tax in 2019.
Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends 🌱
As the short-term rental (STR) industry evolves, local governments are increasingly adapting to its rapid growth and impact on residential areas. New regulations, stricter enforcement measures, and a focus on community feedback are emerging as key strategies to address concerns over housing availability, neighborhood character, and public safety.
What this means:
⚖️ Legal and Legislative Tensions Are Rising Over STR Authority: Across the U.S., there’s a noticeable uptick in legal disputes and legislative battles over who gets to control short-term rental policy. Cities like New Braunfels, TX, and Hood River, OR, are defending local ordinances in court, while others like Paonia, CO, are seeing voter-driven repeals. Meanwhile, state bills in Idaho and Texas are stirring controversy by proposing to limit municipal oversight. This trend underscores the escalating tug-of-war between local governments asserting regulatory control and broader state-level pushes for deregulation or standardization.
🚗 Cities Are Shifting Toward Targeted, Compliance-Driven Enforcement: Many municipalities are no longer just debating whether to allow short-term rentals—they’re focusing on how to enforce rules more effectively. New programs like Indian Rocks Beach’s 24/7 reporting hotline, stricter penalty schemes in Highland Heights, and permit compliance deadlines in St. Louis show a shift toward active monitoring and enforcement. Cities are increasingly investing in systems that track violations, manage occupancy, and crack down on unlicensed operators to ensure existing laws have teeth.
📊 STR Taxation and Revenue Policies Are Becoming Key Policy Tools: Governments are leveraging short-term rental tax frameworks as both revenue sources and policy levers. Washington State is advancing a bill to double excise taxes on STRs to fund housing services, while Austin, TX, just enforced an 11% hotel occupancy tax. At the same time, tax trends like Nantucket’s 27% drop in STR revenue are raising questions about economic sustainability.
📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:
- Mendocino County, CA: Mendocino County is preparing to expand its short-term rental regulations into inland areas and will host five public meetings throughout April to gather community input.
- Texarkana, AR: A proposed ordinance to regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo drew mixed public feedback during Monday’s city Board of Directors meeting, prompting the Board to delay a final vote until April 21.
- South Lake Tahoe, CA: Officials say policy revisions will be discussed at the April 22 Council meeting.
🖱️ Click of the Week: See What Everyone’s Reading
Clark County
Illegal short-term rentals in Las Vegas Valley face tougher penalties
Clark County, Nevada has intensified enforcement against illegal short-term rentals by increasing fines up to $10,000 per day and implementing property liens for continued violations. The county's Short-Term Rental Education Enforcement Team (STREET) has investigated over 5,700 cases since 2018, achieving a 93% compliance rate without fines.