Weekly Regulatory Briefing (20)
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
- Fort Myers Beach, FL: Fort Myers Beach is tightening oversight of its short-term rental market by adopting new software, Rental Scape, to better monitor compliance and reduce manual enforcement burdens on town staff.
- Houston, TX: A neighborhood dispute in the Walden area of Lake Houston is highlighting the growing tension over short-term rentals, as longtime resident Bill Stewart clashes with the property next door that's being used for Airbnb stays.
🌍 Regional Highlights
- Ohio: Ohio’s House Bill 161 moved forward as lawmakers sought to impose statewide taxes on short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO, potentially generating tens of millions annually in lodging and sales tax revenue.
- New York: New York City has filed its first lawsuit under Local Law 18 against Incentra Village House, a longtime Greenwich Village inn accused of illegally operating as a short-term rental hotel.
📜 New Ordinances Approved
- Winter Park, CO: Winter Park’s Town Council unanimously approved stricter noise regulations for short-term rentals, refining what constitutes “unreasonable noise” and increasing penalties for violations.
- South Haven, MI: South Haven’s City Council has officially adopted a revised short-term rental zoning ordinance after final discussions and minor amendments were made during this week’s meeting, solidifying a policy that has been in the works for over a year.
- Westport, MA: Westport took decisive action this week to formalize its approach to short-term rentals, approving a new bylaw to regulate STR operations and voting to increase the local occupancy tax from 4% to 6%.
- Shelburne, MA: Shelburne has officially adopted a new short-term rental bylaw aimed at managing the town’s growing STR market. Passed during the second night of the town’s Annual Meeting, the bylaw prohibits non-owner-occupied STRs moving forward, though it allows existing ones to continue operating until their properties are sold.
- Lee, MA: Lee voters approved a series of amendments to the town’s short-term rental bylaws during this year’s town meeting.
- Pullman, WA: After nearly two years of debate, the Pullman City Council narrowly passed new short-term rental regulations in a 4-2 vote, set to take effect June 1.
- Pittsford, NY: The Village of Pittsford has approved a new law to regulate short-term rentals like Airbnbs, despite heated debate over whether such restrictions address a real issue.
💬 Catch Up on Discussions
- New Braunfels, TX: New Braunfels short-term rental (STR) operators are expecting a busy summer despite lingering challenges from the city’s residential area STR ban.
- Traverse City, MI: Traverse City’s Planning Commission is recommending new caps on short-term rentals in seven zoning districts to boost long-term housing availability.
- Saratoga Spring, NY: Saratoga Springs is preparing to launch its new short-term rental registration program in early June, following city council approval of legislation aimed at bringing more oversight to the growing rental market.
- Palm Spring, CA: In its latest meeting on May 7, the Palm Springs Administrative Appeals Board continued refining short-term rental policies, zeroing in on enforcement gaps linked to the fact that many vacation rental owners live outside the city.
- Ocean City, MD: Ocean City’s five-night minimum stay rule for short-term rentals in residential and mobile home areas may be put on hold, as over 1,300 signatures have been submitted to trigger a referendum.
- West Fargo, ND: West Fargo’s City Commission rejected a proposed short-term rental ordinance on May 5, directing staff to add back a primary residence requirement that had been removed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
- Eagle County, CO: Eagle County has decided against new short-term rental regulations, instead choosing to collect updated data and let local HOAs and metro districts continue managing most STRs.
- Honolulu, HI: Though Honolulu passed a 2019 law to crack down on illegal short-term rentals and hold booking platforms accountable, city officials have yet to cite Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar companies—despite thousands of unregistered listings.
- Southwick, MA: Southwick’s Planning Board voted earlier this week to oppose a citizens’ petition calling for the repeal of the town’s short-term rental bylaw, emphasizing both the recent timeline of its formal adoption and the structured process it underwent.
- Quincy, MA: Quincy officials continued their push to enforce a 2021 short-term rental ban in residential zones by suing homeowner Ronen Zangi in 2023 over alleged illegal Airbnb activity at his high-end Squantum property.
- La Grange, IL: La Grange is considering a potential shift in its short-term rental policy as the Village Board prepares to vote on whether to allow limited STRs in second-floor commercial spaces downtown, specifically in response to a proposal from local business owner Dan Spain.
- Leoni Township, MI: The Leoni Township Board of Trustees unanimously voted against adopting a proposed short-term rental ordinance, opting instead to enforce existing laws when complaints arise.
- Cleveland, OH: Cleveland City Council is moving toward a comprehensive overhaul of its short-term rental regulations after mounting complaints about unruly properties including a July 2024 incident where a party of 200 teens disrupted an entire neighborhood.
- Chicago, IL: Chicago is moving forward with a “transparency ordinance” introduced by Ald. Bennett Lawson to rein in short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, especially in high-traffic areas like Wrigleyville.
🌱 Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends
Communities across the U.S. are finding themselves at a crossroads as short-term rentals become increasingly common. Local governments are adopting a wide range of strategies to balance tourism growth with the need to protect long-term housing stock and maintain neighborhood character.
What this means:
💻 Tech-Driven Oversight and Enhanced Enforcement: As the short-term rental market continues to expand, cities like Fort Myers Beach, FL are turning to technology to streamline oversight and improve compliance. The town recently adopted Rental Scape, a software platform designed to reduce the manual burden on staff by automating monitoring and enforcement, reflecting a broader trend toward data-driven STR management. Similarly, Honolulu, HI is under pressure to enforce its 2019 STR law more effectively highlighting the growing need for digital tools to track and regulate rental activity at scale.
📒 Legal and Community Pushback: Neighborhood disputes and legal battles over short-term rentals are becoming more common as residents push back against disruptive properties. In Houston, TX, a clash between a longtime resident and a neighboring STR underscores the ongoing tensions in communities grappling with the impact of vacation rentals. Meanwhile, cities like Quincy, MA, and New York City are taking aggressive legal action to enforce STR bans and crack down on illegal operations.
📊 Localized Regulation and Taxation Shifts – Cities and towns are increasingly refining their STR policies to reflect local priorities, often adopting unique approaches to taxation and zoning. Westport, MA, for instance, recently approved a bylaw to formalize STR oversight and raised its local occupancy tax from 4% to 6%, while Ohio’s House Bill 161 aims to establish statewide STR taxes that could generate significant revenue.
📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:
- Michigan City, IN: Following resident complaints about noise, overcrowding, and disruptive behavior at short-term rentals near the lakefront, Michigan City officials have scheduled public workshops for May 13 and June 10 to explore potential regulations.
- Palm Spring, CA: Legal counsel is now tasked with updating ordinance language, with the revised draft expected to be reviewed at the board’s next meeting on June 18.
🖱️ Click of the Week: See What Everyone’s Reading
, Cape Cod Times
Short-term rentals, plastic ban, housing units, town hall: Sandwich town meeting results
At Sandwich's town meeting, voters approved new zoning bylaws for accessory dwelling units and funding for historic town hall renovations, while indefinitely postponing decisions on short-term rental regulations and rejecting plastic reduction petitions, including a nip bottle ban and limits on takeout utensils. Despite concerns over school spending, the $99.5 million town budget was also adopted.
Stay Updated with STRisker
STRisker offers tools and features to keep you updated with the Short-Term Rental movement across the U.S.
STRisker Updates Tracker
How do you keep up with the regulatory rollercoaster in your market? STRisker's Updates Tracker can be your guide - start tracking latest events as they happen and get access to essential documents as they come in. We know the struggle, which is why we built this product to capture every twist and turn in the regulatory saga so you never miss a beat.
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