Weekly Regulatory Briefing (42)

🏡Top Stories This Week

• Hudson, WI: Hudson’s short-term rental moratorium officially ends October 16, opening the door for new applications under the city’s updated ordinance.

🌍 Regional Highlights

• Florida: A Florida lawmaker plans to introduce a new bill requiring stronger pool safety standards at short-term rentals after a Scripps News investigation revealed dozens of child drownings at vacation homes.
• Puerto Rico: Puerto Rican legislators are considering new safety requirements for short-term rentals under Bill 605, discussed by the House Commission on Tourism on October 3.
• New Hampshire: A California couple and a New Hampshire property trustee are suing the Kearsarge Lighting Precinct (KLP) in federal court, claiming its short-term rental ordinance is unconstitutional.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Thousand Palms, Riverside County, CA: Residents in Thousand Palms are once again voicing frustration over the ongoing issues tied to short-term rentals after a recent fire at one property nearly sparked a neighborhood disaster.
• Norfolk, VA: Norfolk is raising its short-term rental tax starting January 1, 2026, increasing the fee from a flat $3 per night to $3 per night per bedroom.
• St. Louis, MO: St. Louis’ short-term rental regulations remain unenforced, five months after a judge ruled the city could proceed with most provisions. 
• East Hampton, NY: East Hampton officials are exploring stronger short-term rental regulations following Councilwoman Cate Rogers’s presentation on rising investor activity in residential zones.
• Galveston, TX: Calls for stronger enforcement dominated Galveston’s short-term rental community forum, where more than 120 islanders debated draft ordinance changes designed to hold problem operators accountable.
• Logan, OH: Hocking Hills short-term rental operators gathered last week to push back against a series of proposed county regulations they say could threaten the local tourism economy.
• Ocean City, MD: Ocean City officials are set to revisit the temporary ban on new short-term rental licenses in single-family (R-1) and mobile home (MH) zones. 
• Clark County, NV: Short-term rental regulations in Clark County remain a flashpoint as the county faces mounting criticism for its slow licensing rollout under Nevada’s 2021 law, AB363.
• Redondo Beach, Los Angeles County, CA: Redondo Beach is stepping up enforcement of its long-standing short-term rental ban, sending more than 500 warning letters to property owners with listings for stays under 30 days.
• Nantucket, MA: Nantucket’s Finance Committee has added another layer to the island’s short-term rental debate, voting 4–3 to endorse Article 1 — the measure that would legalize short-term rentals as a principal use without limits — while unanimously rejecting the Planning Board’s alternative.
• Solvang, CA: The Solvang City Council is refining a new short-term rental ordinance that would keep rentals confined to the Village Mixed-Use (VMU) zone and limit the number of permits to 30.
• Falmouth, MA: The Short-Term Rental Advisory Committee is drafting a new bylaw aimed at modernizing the town’s approach to Airbnb and Vrbo properties ahead of the April Town Meeting.
• DuPage County, IL: The DuPage County Board voted on Tuesday on a measure to bring short-term rentals under county regulation for the first time.
• Scottsdale, AZ: Scottsdale has officially amended its zoning code to comply with Arizona’s new ADU law, ending months of resistance over what some city leaders call “an assault on local control.”
• Franklin County, VA: Franklin County is weighing a zoning change that would make short-term rentals easier to operate in residential areas.
• Santa Fe, NM: Santa Fe continues to wrestle with the balance between tourism-driven short-term rentals and a mounting housing shortage.
• Tomball, TX: The Tomball City Council is facing pressure from short-term rental operators after residents raised concerns about the city’s new occupancy tax during its October 6 meeting.
• Tehachapi, CA: The Tehachapi City Council has introduced a package of municipal code updates aimed at refining enforcement and short-term rental rules.
• Imlay, MI: Imlay City is preparing to allow a small number of short-term rentals under new zoning rules.
• Little Compton, RI: Little Compton’s draft short-term rental ordinance remains unresolved after an Oct. 6 hearing where the Town Council took no vote.

🌐 Global Notes

• British Columbia: British Columbia is moving to give its short-term rental laws more bite with proposed legislation that would make compliance orders and penalties public.
• Lake of Bays Township, Ontario, Canada: Starting January 1, 2026, visitors staying in short-term rentals and other accommodations in Lake of Bays will pay a new 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax, approved by council this week.
• European Union: The European Commission is preparing to introduce new rules on short-term rentals like Airbnb and Booking.com as part of a wider effort to tackle Europe’s growing housing crisis.
• Palma, Spain: Palma is taking a bold step to curb overtourism and housing strain by banning all new short-term tourist rental registrations.
• Scotland: Stirling Council’s proposal for a 5% visitor levy on overnight accommodation is facing pushback from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
• Greece: Greece may soon tighten its short-term rental framework as the government confronts a worsening housing crisis.
• Cyprus: Cyprus is updating its short-term rental rules to match new EU-wide standards for transparency and data sharing.
• Kyoto, Japan: Kyoto will implement a new tourism tax—the highest in Japan—beginning March 1, 2026, applying to all paid accommodations including short-term rentals.

🌱 Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends

Short-term rental policy debates are heating up across the globe as cities rethink how to manage housing, tourism, and community impacts. The latest wave of ordinances and lawsuits highlights three clear trends driving the conversation forward.

🏫 Local Governments Revisit Short-Term Rental Controls: Local governments are shifting from broad restrictions to more tailored short-term rental frameworks designed to balance tourism with neighborhood stability. Communities like Hudson, Wisconsin, and Solvang, California, are refining their permit systems and zoning limits, while Ocean City, Maryland, and Mentor, Ohio, are taking final votes on revised ordinances. The focus is moving away from outright bans toward structured oversight that supports both housing protection and local economic activity.

👔 Mounting Legal and Political Pressure: Legal challenges and political pushback are intensifying as new short-term rental laws face scrutiny in courts and councils alike. A New Hampshire lawsuit claims a local ordinance is unconstitutional, while Galveston, Texas, and Logan, Ohio, are seeing residents and operators clash over enforcement and economic impacts. In St. Louis, unresolved enforcement issues continue months after a court ruling, underscoring how the regulatory patchwork remains difficult to navigate.

✒️ Global Shift Toward Accountability and Transparency: Short-term rental reform is gaining momentum far beyond U.S. borders, with governments emphasizing safety, taxation, and data transparency. British Columbia plans to make enforcement records public, Cyprus is aligning its rules with new EU standards, and Palma, Spain, is banning new tourist rental registrations altogether. Meanwhile, Japan, Greece, and Scotland are preparing new taxes and compliance measures, showing how cities worldwide are tightening oversight to address housing pressures and overtourism.

📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:

• Mentor, OH: Mentor City Council is weighing a proposal to replace its short-term rental ban with a permit system that caps the number of rentals and adds new operating rules. The proposal is slated for a third reading and vote on October 21.

• Falmouth, MA: Warrant articles are due in mid to late January, and the committee will review the updated draft again on October 22.

• Franklin County, VA: The Planning Commission will revisit the proposal at a November 12 work session.

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

Philipstown Drafts Short-Term Rental Regs

Would require permits, ban parties

The Highlands CurrentLeonard Sparks

Philipstown Drafts Short-Term Rental Regs

Philipstown’s Town Board has received draft short-term rental regulations that would require annual permits, limit unhosted stays to 90 nights per year, ban parties, and mandate parking and safety standards. The proposal, set for discussion at an Oct. 29 workshop, creates five STR categories and introduces tiered fines for violations.

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