Weekly Regulatory Briefing (27)

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

• Southold, NY: Southold Town is stepping up its crackdown on illegal short-term rentals with the help of a new monitoring tool called Rentalscape, which allows the town to detect when properties are being rented for fewer than 14 days.
• San Diego, CA: After a nearly three-year pause, San Diego is reopening Tier 4 short-term rental license applications for Mission Beach starting July 1.

🌍 Regional Highlights

• New York: New York City is stepping up enforcement on registered short-term rental hosts, issuing warning letters to 500 out of 3,000 operators for violating Local Law 18, the city’s strict 2023 ordinance governing home-sharing.
• California: Starting next month, California will implement a wave of new consumer protection laws, including a targeted measure that forces Airbnb and similar rental platforms to display all cleaning fees and penalties upfront before a booking is completed.
• Illinois: Illinois is introducing new short-term rental rules starting July 1, 2025, as part of a broader package of tax increases and regulatory changes.
• Utah: A new study from Utah State University confirms what many Bear Lake locals have been feeling: short-term rentals are eroding the community fabric in this popular vacation area straddling the Utah-Idaho border.

📜 New Ordinances Approved

• Aspen, CO: Aspen City Council unanimously approved several adjustments to its short-term rental program easing some of the administrative burdens for operators while setting the stage for deeper policy changes later this year.
• Bedford, TX: In a continued effort to address neighborhood concerns, the Bedford City Council has approved a zoning ordinance change that places a 1,000-foot buffer between short-term rental properties.
• Cheboygan, MI: Cheboygan is tightening its short-term rental rules with a newly adopted ordinance that limits STR permits to just 12 citywide and prohibits them entirely in residential zones.
• Milton, DE: Milton’s Town Council has passed a new licensing ordinance for short-term rentals that lays the groundwork for broader zoning regulations still to come.
• Escondido, CA: Escondido’s short-term rental program is set to launch July 1 with a clearer framework after the City Council approved amendments that sharpen enforcement tools and limit eligibility to property owners only.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Logan County, OH: Logan County is updating its lodging tax rules to include short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo, expanding its existing 3% bed tax beyond traditional hotels.
• Avon Lake, OH: Avon Lake is moving to pause new short-term rentals for six months while it drafts formal regulations for rentals under 30 days. 
• Cassadaga, NY: Cassadaga is overhauling its 2002 zoning laws, and for the first time, short-term rentals are officially on the books. 
• Stowe, VT: Stowe’s short-term rental registry is beginning to deliver on its promise of transparency, and the early numbers are telling.
• Cape Coral, FL: Cape Coral has kicked off a new chapter in its short-term rental debate with the first meeting of a Vacation Rental Advisory Group, formed after public backlash derailed two controversial ordinances last month.
• Bossier Parish, LA: Bossier Parish is facing growing public pressure to rein in short-term rentals after a coalition of 23 HOAs called on the Police Jury to enforce zoning laws that prohibit commercial activity in single-family neighborhoods.
• Richland County, SC: Richland County, South Carolina is reminding residents that operating a short-term rental without a license is a violation of local law.
• Atlanta, GA: Atlanta has spent over six years debating how to regulate short-term rentals, yet an estimated 10,000 operate largely unchecked due to delayed enforcement and policy gridlock.
• Wickliffe, OH: Wickliffe City Council is weighing a potential ban on short-term rentals after a string of noise complaints and growing unease about corporate home purchases.
• Pointe Coupee Parish, LA: Pointe Coupee Parish is drafting a new ordinance to regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo, especially around the popular False River area.

🌱 Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends

Short-term rental regulations across the U.S. are rapidly evolving as cities respond to mounting pressure from residents, housing advocates, and tourism economies. This week’s developments reveal three major trends shaping how communities manage STR growth, enforcement, and community impact.

💻 Digital Surveillance Tools Are Reshaping STR Enforcement: A growing number of municipalities are embracing technology to strengthen their grip on illegal short-term rentals. In Southold, NY, officials have deployed Rentalscape, a platform that flags properties rented for fewer than 14 days—allowing the town to swiftly identify violations of its minimum-stay rule. This aligns with a broader enforcement trend: New York City recently issued warning letters to hundreds of STR hosts suspected of violating Local Law 18, while smaller jurisdictions like Richland County, SC, are reminding residents that unlicensed rentals remain unlawful. The surge in tech-assisted compliance reflects rising frustration with underregulated rentals and a desire to level the playing field with hotels through improved oversight and tax collection.

🏠 Cities Recalibrate With Fresh Licensing Programs and Eased Barriers: Municipalities are retooling their short-term rental programs through revised permitting frameworks and phased license rollouts. San Diego, CA, is relaunching Tier 4 licenses for Mission Beachafter nearly three years of restrictions. Elsewhere, cities like Escondido, CA, and Milton, DE, have adopted new licensing ordinances that streamline eligibility and beef up enforcement tools, often tying STR legality to property ownership or zoning compliance. Aspen, CO, is even relaxing some administrative burdens on operators in advance of a larger policy reset later this year. Collectively, these changes reflect a maturing STR regulatory landscape in which governments are experimenting with more nuanced, enforceable, and long-term policy frameworks.

📆 Mounting Local Backlash Spurs Temporary Bans and Ordinance Overhauls: Facing increasing pressure from residents over quality-of-life issues, several cities and counties are pausing STR growth or revisiting outdated rules altogether. In Avon Lake, OH, a six-month moratorium on new STRs is underway while officials draft formal regulations. Meanwhile, Sodus Point, NY, is preparing to overhaul its local STR ordinance, and Pointe Coupee Parish, LA, will hold a July 8 hearing and vote on a new regulatory framework aimed at popular lakefront communities. These actions echo similar tensions in places like Wickliffe, OH, where city leaders are contemplating a full ban after complaints about corporate STR ownership, and Bossier Parish, LA, where a coalition of HOAs is pushing for enforcement of existing zoning laws.

📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:

• Nuangola, PA: Nuangola Borough in Pennsylvania is taking a proactive approach to short-term rental regulation, with the Borough Council set to consider an ordinance on July 8 that would restrict such rentals to specific zoning districts.

•  Pointe Coupee Parish, LA: A public hearing and vote on the ordinance is set for July 8 in New Roads.

• Sodus Point, NY: The Sodus Point Village Board is expected to take the first step toward revising its short-term rental ordinance by setting a public hearing on Chapter 151, the section of local code that governs STRs. 

• West Fargo, ND: West Fargo is reconsidering key elements of its short-term rental ordinance, especially a requirement that such rentals be the owner’s primary residence.

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

County to enforce Short-Term Rental Ordinance and new Lodgers’ Tax

Doña Ana County is cracking down on non-compliant short-term rental operators, requiring them to meet registration and safety standards under Ordinance No. 316-2020 by July 16 or face enforcement. A new 5% lodgers’ tax, effective under Ordinance No. 363-2025, also mandates STR owners to collect and remit the tax regularly.

STRisker News Tracker

Trying to keep up with STR regulations across multiple cities and states? Our News Tracker makes it easier than ever. Filter by location, search a comprehensive database, and sort by impact level—this tool helps you focus on what matters most.

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