Weekly Regulatory Briefing (26)
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
- St. Louis, MO: A deadly confrontation outside a short-term rental has reignited alarm in St. Louis, where the city’s hands remain tied by a court order preventing enforcement of new rental regulations.
- New York, NY: The city has brought its first Local Law 18 lawsuit, accusing Incentra Village House of running 12 illegal short-term rentals in two West Village townhouses.
- Honolulu, HI: The Department of Planning and Permitting has launched a “short-term rental awareness” campaign to help residents and visitors flag and report illegal vacation-rental ads.
🌍 Regional Highlights
Dane Artisola
Read the full report here.
📜 New Ordinances Approved
- Somers Point, NJ: Somers Point City Council narrowly approved a change extending the minimum stay for short-term rentals from three to seven nights, after a lengthy and emotional debate on June 12.
- Jackson County, MO: The County Legislature has passed Ordinance 5987, a short-term rental measure introduced by Legislator Sean Smith to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Columbia, SC: Columbia City Council has imposed a one-year moratorium on new short-term-rental permits after a deadly Airbnb shooting on Lincoln Street.
- Cocoa Beach, FL: Cocoa Beach has tightened its rules again. Under a commission vote last Thursday, anyone who remains at a vacation rental for more than 15 minutes will now be classified as a guest.
- Shaker Heights, OH: City Council has passed emergency legislation adding an explicit Housing Code ban on rentals of fewer than 30 days, clarifying a restriction previously found only in the zoning code.
💬 Catch Up on Discussions
- Sister Bay, WI: A Door County judge ruled that Sister Bay wrongly denied a short-term rental license to Captain’s Cottage over outdated parking concerns, reinforcing that municipalities can’t retroactively apply zoning codes.
- Del Mar, CA: Del Mar’s short-term rental ordinance, finalized in September 2024, is now under scrutiny after questions surfaced about Mayor Terry Gaasterland’s potential conflict of interest.
- Sacramento, CA: Facing a surge in absentee-owned listings, the city is weighing reforms to restore housing balance.
- Charlottesville, VA: Charlottesville is revising its 2015 short-term-rental ordinance and has launched a 14-question online survey (5–10 minutes) open through June 30 to gather views from residents, owners, and visitors.
- Chicago, IL: Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st) proposes letting aldermen bar new short-term rentals precinct-by-precinct: listings would be blocked unless platforms collect signatures from 10 % of precinct voters (≈150–200).
- Parkville, MO: Parkville will suspend its short-term-rental limits next summer to welcome 2026 FIFA World Cup visitors.
- Maui, HI: Bill 9, set for a decisive Housing & Land Use Committee vote on July 2, would bar rentals under 180 days in apartment-zoned condos across Kihei, Wailea, Lahaina, Napili, and other South and West Maui areas, stripping thousands of currently legal units of their short-term permits.
- El Paso, TX: The County is warning short-term-rental owners who are out of compliance that their permits may be suspended or canceled unless they meet all requirements by July 16.
- Cape Coral, FL: City inspectors have flagged hundreds of short-term rentals advertised for stays shorter than the city’s required week, intensifying debate over oversight.
🌱 Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends
Cities across the U.S. are navigating a turbulent short-term rental landscape, where public safety, legal constraints, and economic opportunity are reshaping local policy. The latest developments reveal growing urgency among municipalities to assert control, respond to crises, and adapt ahead of major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
🛣️ Intensified Enforcement Meets Legal Roadblocks in STR Regulation: Cities nationwide are ramping up efforts to crack down on illegal short-term rentals using lawsuits, education campaigns, and inspections to rein in unpermitted listings. New York City, for example, has filed its first lawsuit under Local Law 18, targeting 12 illegal units in the West Village, while Honolulu launched a public awareness campaign to help residents report unlawful vacation rental ads. At the same time, enforcement is being stalled in places like St. Louis, where a court order has blocked the city from implementing new STR regulations, despite mounting community safety concerns.
🧗♂️ Public Safety Incidents Spark Urgent Policy Reactions: Recent violent incidents tied to short-term rentals are accelerating policy changes at the city level. Columbia, SC imposed a one-year moratorium on new STR permits following a fatal Airbnb shooting, while Somers Point, NJ extended its minimum stay requirement from three to seven nights after emotional public debate. In Shaker Heights, OH, officials rushed to codify a 30-day rental ban into the Housing Code to close a regulatory loophole.
🏈 Mega Events Like the 2026 FIFA World Cup Are Driving Strategic STR Reforms: The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is reshaping local short-term rental policies as cities brace for surges in tourism. In Missouri, Jackson County passed new STR legislation specifically designed to prepare for the tournament, while Parkville will temporarily suspend STR limits during the event.
🖱️ Click of the Week: See What Everyone’s Reading
Diana Zoga, Robin Carter
World Cup ready? What to know if you plan to rent your home out
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to bring nine matches to Arlington's AT&T Stadium, local short-term rental hosts are preparing for a potential surge in demand—but experts caution that hosting isn’t a guaranteed windfall. While cities like Arlington are seeing an uptick in STR permits, industry leaders emphasize the importance of regulation compliance, realistic expectations, and long-term commitment.
Stay Updated with STRisker
STRisker offers tools and features to keep you updated with the Short-Term Rental movement across the U.S.
STRisker Documents Dashboard
Finding the right compliance documents shouldn’t feel like searching for a needle in a haystack - STRisker’s Documents is built to simplify your life, offering instant access to hundreds of thousands of documents from thousands of cities across the US.
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