Weekly Regulatory Briefing (36)
The Week’s STR Highlights. Francis, UT approves code amendments; Hawaii reviews bill; Ithaca, NY approves new restrictions; Gothenburg, NE approves ordinance; Atlas Township, MI votes to ban STRs; West Fargo, ND will soon draft ordinance; Buena Vista, CO reviews draft; Mckinney, TX. READ MORE.
🏡Top Stories This Week
- Francis, UT: Francis leaders unanimously approved new code amendments that place a strict limit on short-term rentals while also reworking the city’s permitting process.
🌍 Regional Highlights
- Hawaii: Maui’s battle over vacation rentals is moving into the courts as Bill 9 nears final approval. The measure would phase out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned buildings by 2028 in West Maui and 2030 elsewhere, aiming to free housing for residents.
📜 New Ordinances Approved
- Ithaca, NY: The Town Board approves an amendment adding new restrictions to short-term rentals in conservation zones, allowing them only in a property owner’s primary residence, another unit on the same lot, or one adjacent parcel under the same ownership.
- Gothenburg, NE: The City Council approved changes to its short-term rental ordinance to keep pace with the growing presence of Airbnbs in town.
💬 Catch Up on Discussions
- Maui County, HI: Maui County’s Bill 9 would eliminate short-term rentals in apartment districts, phasing out roughly 7,000 units long protected by the Minatoya List in hopes of easing the island’s housing shortage.
- Atlas Township, MI: Atlas Township trustees voted 3-2 to ban short-term rentals, setting the stage for a zoning ordinance that will prohibit rentals of less than 30 days across the township.
- West Fargo, ND: The city will soon revise its draft short-term rental ordinance after community input showed mixed views on owner-occupancy requirements.
- Buena Vista, CO: Short-term rentals were back in focus in Buena Vista on August 26, when trustees reviewed a draft ordinance that set a cap of 119 licenses for out-of-county owners and about 19 for in-county.
- Mckinney, TX: City officials move to strengthen short-term rental tax collection by advancing an ordinance that would require VRBO to collect and remit hotel occupancy taxes, aligning it with Airbnb, which already contributes significantly to local revenue.
- Aspen, CO: Officials reaffirm the 2022 short-term rental caps, choosing not to add permits in the city’s residential/multifamily zone despite a long waitlist.
- Weldon Spring, MO: Weldon Spring officials are preparing to regulate short-term rentals after complaints surfaced when a dozen roofers stayed in a neighborhood property earlier this year, prompting parking and noise issues.
- Wells, ME: Wells officials are moving toward a structured short-term rental ordinance after an August 19 Select Board meeting that underscored both the opportunities and risks of STRs.
- Wexford County, MI: Officials move to open the door to short-term rentals in Cadillac’s B-3 General Business District, voting to amend the ordinance so STRs can operate with a special land use permit.
- Bel Air, MD: Bel Air commissioners are moving forward with proposed rule changes for short-term rentals, introducing new definitions and performance standards that would tightly regulate where and how they operate.
- St. Joseph, MI: City commissioners have delayed a decision on whether to allow eight new short-term rental units downtown after a lengthy public hearing.
- Orem, UT: City leaders are reworking their approach to short-term rentals after an August 26 meeting raised questions about enforcement and revenue.
- Cheektowaga, NY: Town leaders confronted two pressing community concerns: safety and short-term rentals. Residents voiced frustration with crime and governance, pushing for stronger action.
- Laurel, MS: The Laurel City Council is preparing to increase costs for short-term rental operators by reclassifying them as commercial businesses.
- Union County, NC: Recent changes to North Carolina law allow some short-term rental pools to bypass public permitting, but Union County health officials say their commitment to swimmer safety hasn’t changed.
🌐 Global Highlights
- Nelson, BC: Nelson’s downtown short-term rental market has contracted sharply following the province’s 2023 legislation, which eliminated the city’s local exemption from principal residence rules.
- Hope, BC: Hope is moving to bring short-term rentals under local control, with council voting on Aug. 11 to require operators to hold a business license and register with the province by January 2026.
- Calabogie, ON: New short-term rental rules in Greater Madawaska, Ontario are prompting cottage owners like Gabriel Leclerc to sell properties rather than face $300 licensing fees and extensive paperwork.
- South Australia: Short-term rental advocates are pointing to new research suggesting that restrictions on Airbnbs and similar platforms are doing little to fix housing shortages.
- Hobart, Tasmania: Hobart City Council is turning to artificial intelligence to crack down on short-term rentals operating without permits, after years of complaints that unregulated Airbnbs are tightening the city’s housing market.
- Canary Island: Rural tourism operators in the Canary Islands are warning that uncontrolled vacation rentals on rustic land are threatening their survival and the region’s cultural heritage.
- Ibiza: Ibiza’s housing crisis is deepening as the island’s booming party tourism collides with a shortage of affordable homes.
- Dublin, Ireland: Dublin City Council has refused planning retention for a major Airbnb operator running 10 apartments near Dublin Castle and Temple Bar, ruling that continued short-term use would strip housing from the long-term market and undermine the city’s development plan.
- Pembrokshire, Wales: Pembrokeshire County Council is consulting on council tax premiums for empty and second homes, but a group representing second-home owners says the process lacks transparency.
- Malaysia: Malaysia’s short-term rental accommodation (STRA) market is heading into a new regulatory era as the federal government prepares to make business licences mandatory for all operators.
🌱 Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends
From courtroom showdowns in Hawaii to licensing crackdowns in Canada and Asia, short-term rentals are facing a wave of regulation. Recent actions show how communities are testing new rules to strike a balance between visitor demand and local housing needs.
🏫 Growing Local Crackdowns: From Utah to Michigan, local governments are accelerating efforts to rein in short-term rentals with stricter rules and outright bans. Francis, Utah, has placed a strict limit on STRs, while Atlas Township, Michigan, voted to prohibit rentals of fewer than 30 days altogether. Other communities, like Buena Vista, Colorado, and Aspen, Colorado, are turning to license caps and reaffirmed limits to keep STR growth in check. The trend reflects mounting pressure from residents who see STRs as disruptive to neighborhoods and harmful to housing availability.
⚖️ Courts and Compliance Enter the Spotlight: Legal battles and compliance strategies are emerging as defining features of the STR debate. In Maui, Bill 9 is set to phase out thousands of vacation rentals in apartment zones, sending the issue into the courts. Meanwhile, cities like McKinney, Texas, are moving to strengthen tax collection by bringing platforms like VRBO under the same obligations as Airbnb, while Hobart, Tasmania, is turning to artificial intelligence to catch unpermitted operators. These moves underscore a shift toward formal enforcement as local leaders aim to close loopholes and ensure fair play.
🗺️ Global Rebalancing of Tourism and Housing: Internationally, governments are recalibrating the balance between tourism and housing needs. Canada’s new provincial rules are reshaping markets in places like Nelson and Hope, British Columbia, while Ontario’s licensing fees are prompting some property owners to exit the market altogether. In Europe, Dublin is clamping down on multi-unit Airbnb operations, and the Canary Islands are warning of cultural and environmental risks from unchecked rural STRs. Meanwhile, Malaysia is preparing nationwide licensing requirements, signaling that stricter oversight of short-term rentals is becoming the norm worldwide.
📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:
- Dexter Township, MI: Short-term rentals remain unresolved in Dexter Township as the board stops short of action after a public hearing, scheduling further work sessions ahead of a possible Sept. 16 decision.
🖱️ Click of the Week: See What Everyone’s Reading
Kody Bair
Cadillac discusses potential new housing options, changes to zoning ordinance
Cadillac planning commissioners move to expand housing options by approving a zoning amendment to allow short-term rentals in a business district with a special permit and advancing plans for a new four-unit apartment complex. Both measures now await final approval from the City Council.
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