Weekly Regulatory Briefing (19) 05/22/2026

🏡Top Stories This Week

• Westfield, IN: Westfield police arrested three people after uncovering an alleged prostitution operation inside a short-term rental home booked through a rental platform.
• DeKalb County, GA: DeKalb County has officially launched its short-term rental program, requiring all Airbnb-style operators in unincorporated areas to obtain a Short-Term Rental License within 30 days as part of a new countywide compliance effort.

🌍 Regional Highlights

• Illinois: Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill that would add a new 4% statewide tax on short-term rentals booked through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.
• New York: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms, arguing they are worsening housing affordability and displacing residents in communities from Puerto Rico to Jackson Hole.

📜 New Ordinances Approved

• Okeechobee County, FL: Okeechobee County has adopted new regulations for short-term rentals, requiring annual registration, inspections, and basic safety standards for properties rented for under 30 days.
• Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green City Council has approved a new ordinance regulating short-term rentals after residents raised concerns about parking, noise, and changing neighborhood character tied to Airbnb- and Vrbo-style properties.
• Wellfleet, MA: Wellfleet has adopted a new short-term rental bylaw after a town meeting vote, introducing registration, annual inspections, and occupancy limits tied to septic system capacity as part of efforts to address environmental strain and housing use.
• Laketown Township, MI: Laketown Township has approved a new short-term rental ordinance that significantly limits where Airbnb- and Vrbo-style rentals can operate, including a ban on renting entire standalone homes in residential zoning districts.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Elizabethtown, KY: Elizabethtown is seeing a sharp rise in short-term rental applications as more property owners convert homes into Airbnb-style accommodations.
• Las Vegas, NV: Short-term rentals in Las Vegas are experiencing a spike in bookings as EDC festival attendees flock to Airbnb-style properties for the weekend.
• Flagstaff, AZ: Flagstaff City Council has approved the first reading of updates to its short-term rental licensing program, including raising the annual registration fee from $185 to $250 and adding new safety and compliance requirements.
• Birmingham, MI: Birmingham’s planning board has begun reviewing potential new regulations for short-term rentals after the City Commission imposed a six-month moratorium on new rental licenses.
• Tupper Lake, NY: Residents in Tupper Lake are pushing local officials to adopt short-term rental regulations similar to nearby Adirondack communities, citing concerns over neighborhood character, parking, and housing impacts.
• Columbia Township, MI: olumbia Township officials in Michigan are considering a new short-term rental ordinance that would require annual permits, limit owners to four properties, and cap occupancy at 10 guests.
• Carson City, NV: Carson City supervisors are preparing to discuss a proposed short-term rental ordinance that would expand where STRs are allowed while introducing new licensing, safety, and operational requirements.
• Ellsworth, ME: Ellsworth officials are backing a proposed short-term rental registry program aimed at improving oversight of the city’s expanding vacation rental market.
• Nantucket, MA: Nantucket’s years-long battle over short-term rentals reached a major milestone after the Massachusetts Attorney General upheld the island’s vote to legalize STRs by-right across most zoning districts, rejecting a legal challenge that sought to overturn the measure.
• Richmond, VA: Richmond has recovered $5.6 million in delinquent short-term rental taxes as the city continues tightening enforcement of its Airbnb-style lodging regulations.
• Simi Valley, CA: Simi Valley City Council voted unanimously May 11 to give initial approval to an ordinance regulating short term rentals rather than banning them, making the city the fourth in Ventura County to tax and regulate STRs.
• Mountainside, NJ: Mountainside Borough Council introduced an ordinance on first reading that would ban short term rentals of fewer than 30 days, fast-tracking the measure ahead of FIFA World Cup events coming to New Jersey.
• Charlottesville, VA: Charlottesville is reevaluating proposed short-term rental ordinance changes after new state legislation complicated the city’s regulatory approach.
• Greenville, NC: Officials in Greenville are reviewing possible responses to growing community complaints about short-term rentals, which residents say are causing noise, parties, and traffic issues in otherwise residential areas.
• Hermosa Beach, CA: Hermosa Beach will not appeal a court ruling that struck down its long-standing ban on short-term rentals in the coastal zone, clearing the way for STRs to operate more freely in nearly half the city.
• Salem Lakes, WI: Salem Lakes officials are moving toward new short-term rental regulations after the village board unanimously directed staff and legal counsel to begin drafting potential Airbnb rules following complaints about neighborhood disruptions, party houses and safety concerns.
• Kansas City, MO: Kansas City-area governments are temporarily relaxing and adjusting short-term rental rules ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as cities prepare for an expected surge in visitors during June and July.
• Bakersfield, CA: Kern County officials are weighing a possible increase to the transient occupancy tax on hotels and short-term rentals, but early feedback shows overwhelming opposition from lodging operators in unincorporated areas.
• Delta County, MI: Ford River Township moves forward with a new short-term rental (STR) regulatory framework after a lengthy public process involving residents, planners, and CUPPAD advisors, aiming to preserve residential character while setting enforceable standards for compliance and safety.

📲 Social Buzz

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📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:

• Conyers, GA: Conyers Mayor Connie Alsobrook and City Council Member Sherri Washington are hosting a public listening session on short term rentals on Thursday, May 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Conyers City Hall.

• Fort Myers, FL: Fort Myers Beach officials are stepping up enforcement of the town’s short-term vacation rental registration ordinance by sending warning letters to property owners who could not be verified as compliant under local rules.

• Simi Valley, CA

🖱️ Click of the Week: See What Everyone’s Reading

Board Decides On Short-Term Rental Regulations In Milford

Whether the city should police Airbnb and Vrbo units was the subject of debate at Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting.

PatchChris Rhatigan

Board Decides On Short-Term Rental Regulations In Milford

In case you missed it:

🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Cayman Islands

Government-commissioned report proposes a density ceiling and New Orleans-style ownership limits. Cabinet has yet to adopt them, but operators now sit at the centre of the housing debate.

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsJasmine Ruth Albatana

Daily Regulatory Notes 05/21/2026

Cities address STRs. Salem Lakes, WI drafts rules; Kansas City, MO adjusts rules; Bakersfield, CA proposes increase to TOT; Fort Myers, FL sends warning letters; Laketown Twp, MI approves ordinance; DeKalb County, GA launches program; Delta County, MI advances frameworks. READ MORE.

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

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