Weekly Regulatory Briefing (32)
The Week’s STR Highlights. Avon Lake, OH passes moratorium; St. Louis, MO reviews enforcement; New York expresses frustration; Howard County, MD passes emergency legislation; Newport Beach, CA votes rules; Douglas County, NV revisits enforcement; San Antonio, TX debates proposed increase; READ MORE.
🏡Top Stories This Week
- Avon Lake, OH: Avon Lake has instituted a 90-day moratorium on new short-term rental properties as it prepares to develop regulations aimed at balancing STR use with neighborhood preservation.
- St. Louis, MO: A shooting at a short-term rental in St. Louis’ Carondelet neighborhood leaves a 17-year-old girl injured and reignites concern over STR safety and oversight.
🌍 Regional Highlights
- New York: Short-term rental rules are back in the spotlight in New York City as voters voice growing frustration with Local Law 18, which heavily restricts Airbnb-style rentals.
📜 New Ordinances Approved
- Howard County, MD: Howard County Council unanimously passed emergency legislation to dramatically increase fines for unauthorized short-term rentals, responding to mounting complaints about large, disruptive pool parties in neighborhoods like Columbia.
💬 Catch Up on Discussions
- Newport Beach, CA: Newport Beach moved a step closer to finalizing updates to its short-term rental rules after the City Council voted unanimously to adopt changes requested by the California Coastal Commission, including how STRs in two coastal mixed-use zones are counted toward the citywide 75-unit cap.
- Douglas County, NV: At a recent meeting in Douglas County, members of the Vacation Home Rental Advisory Board revisited the contentious question of whether short-term rental (STR) owners should be required to hire licensed property managers.
- San Antonio, TX: At its August 4 meeting, the San Antonio Board of Adjustment debated a proposal to increase short-term rental permits at a single property, revealing a divide over policy and community impact.
- Santa Barbara, CA: Santa Barbara’s short-term rental task force heads back to City Council on August 5 after recovering more than $2.6 million in taxes, penalties, and fees from illegal vacation rentals during its two-year pilot run.
- Sandpoint, ID: Sandpoint’s City Council is stepping up its approach to short-term rental oversight, tackling concerns about permit waitlist language and lax penalties for non-compliance.
- Larimer County, CO: At the July 28 Larimer County Land Use Meeting, officials discussed short-term rental regulations in the Estes Valley, focusing heavily on road access and fire safety.
- Newport News, VA: After years of leniency, Newport News began enforcing its short-term rental ordinance on Friday, August 1.
- Buchanan, MI: Buchanan’s long-anticipated short-term rental ordinance is moving forward, but a new set of rules for how ordinances are adopted has slightly delayed the process.
- Hilton Head Island, SC: Hilton Head Island’s rising short-term rentals have become a flashpoint in ongoing efforts to address its workforce housing shortage.
- Newberg, OR: Newberg’s City Council moved closer to reshaping its short-term rental policies with a key vote on August 4, approving a shift from the city’s conditional use process to a streamlined, staff-approved special use permit and implementing tougher operational rules.
- Knoxville, TN: Knoxville City Council is once again facing pressure from residents over the city’s ongoing struggle to enforce short-term rental regulations, particularly around non-resident landlords operating in local neighborhoods.
- Beaufort, SC: Beaufort is preparing to overhaul its short-term rental regulations as a pandemic-fueled boom continues reshaping its quiet residential neighborhoods.
- Simi Valley, CA: Simi Valley is taking a closer look at how it handles short-term rentals in light of Senate Bill 346, which could give cities more power to collect taxes from platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
- Salida, CO: Salida officials met on August 4 to revisit the city’s short-term rental (STR) license trends, hearing renewed concerns from STR owners about declining profitability amid a statewide tourism slump.
🌱 Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends
With short-term rentals under renewed scrutiny, local governments are responding in increasingly focused ways. From safety crackdowns to smarter permitting systems, these emerging trends reveal how cities are reshaping their approach.
⏰ Safety Incidents Push Cities Toward Stricter Oversight: In the wake of recent safety incidents, including a shooting at a short-term rental in St. Louis and a similar event earlier this summer in Columbia, SC, city officials are moving swiftly to tighten oversight. Columbia is preparing to finalize a new ordinance on August 19 that includes stronger restrictions on unregistered rentals. Meanwhile, St. Louis officials are facing renewed pressure to revisit local enforcement gaps. As public safety takes center stage, more jurisdictions are prioritizing regulation aimed at preventing violence, curbing disruptive parties, and holding property owners accountable.
🏫 Local Governments Shift From Fines to Full Enforcement: Cities across the country are stepping up enforcement of short-term rental regulations, signaling a new phase in how violations are handled. Newport News, VA began enforcing its ordinance on August 1 after years of limited oversight, while Virginia Beach will consider a proposal on August 12 to escalate penalties from civil fines to criminal charges. The trend reflects growing concern over unlicensed rentals and the strain they place on neighborhoods. Officials say stronger enforcement tools are needed to close loopholes and ensure consistent compliance from STR operators.
🌇 Cities Refine Caps and Permit Systems Instead of Banning Rentals
Rather than pursuing full-scale bans, several cities are making targeted adjustments to their short-term rental programs. Newport Beach, CA advanced changes to how STRs in coastal mixed-use zones count toward its citywide 75-unit cap, following input from the California Coastal Commission. In Newberg, OR, the City Council approved a shift from a conditional use model to a streamlined, staff-approved special use permit system. Similar updates are under discussion in places like Beaufort, SC and Simi Valley, CA, as municipalities seek to balance tourism with housing concerns through zoning tweaks, permit restructuring, and operational reforms.
📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:
- Virginia Beach, VA: Virginia Beach is preparing to take a tougher stance on short-term rental violations, with City Council set to consider a proposal August 12 that would shift penalties from civil fines to criminal charges.
- Columbia, SC: Columbia is moving ahead with a major update to its short-term rental ordinance following a June shooting at an unregistered Airbnb, with the City Council set to finalize a new package of restrictions on August 19.
- Isle of Palms, SC: Isle of Palms continues to navigate its short-term rental landscape, with the Chamber of Commerce hosting College of Charleston professor Dr. Brumby McLeod on August 26 for a presentation on national trends and local challenges.
🖱️ Click of the Week: See What Everyone’s Reading
Rapid City's Ordinance No. 6140
AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT REGULATIONS GOVERNING SHORT TERM RENTALS BY ADOPTING AND AMENDING PROVISIONS IN TITLE 17 OF THE RAPID CITY MUNICIPAL CODE
Planning Commission reflects on Colorado zoning challenges and short-term rental impacts
At its July 10 meeting, the Woodland Park Planning Commission addressed rising pressure from short-term rentals and housing demand, particularly in commercial zones where STR growth may conflict with zoning intentions.
South Padre Island debates zoning changes to address short term rental issues
At its July 17 meeting, the South Padre Island Planning and Zoning Commission weighed the legal risks of restricting short-term rentals through zoning changes, with counsel warning against "spot zoning" and potential property rights violations.
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