Weekly Regulatory Briefing (46)

🏡Top Stories This Week

• Atlanta, GA: The Atlanta City Council voted 7-6 to reject a proposal to ban short-term rentals in northeast Atlanta’s District 7, which includes parts of Buckhead, Lindbergh, and Brookhaven.

🌍 Regional Highlights

• Missouri: States and counties across the U.S. are ramping up tourism and lodging taxes, with Missouri joining places like Colorado, New York, and Michigan in targeting short-term rentals and hotels.
• Montana: Montana’s new tax rules outline how the state will handle second-home taxes next year, including how Airbnb-style short-term rentals sharing a parcel with a primary residence will be treated.
• New York: New York City’s Council is reviewing proposed Airbnb-backed bills, Intros 948-A and 1107-A, which aim to undo elements of Local Law 18 regulating short-term rentals.

📜 New Ordinances Approved

• Wimberley, TX: Wimberley City Council voted 3–1 to approve a 120-day moratorium on short-term rental applications that require a conditional use permit.
• Sandwich, MA: Sandwich voters approved a new short-term rental bylaw during the Special Town Meeting on November 17, with a vote of 128 to 28, formally allowing short-term rentals in the town.
• Mayfield Village, OH: Mayfield Village approved legislation eliminating short-term home rentals, banning rentals of less than 30 consecutive days, including the property’s grounds and amenities.
• Bar Harbor, ME: Bar Harbor approved a revised short-term rental ordinance that strengthens primary-residence verification requirements for VR-1 rentals while removing a controversial inspection provision.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Sandpoint, ID: Sandpoint officials announced that the city is preparing a major overhaul of its short-term rental ordinance to avoid lawsuits challenging local STR caps across Idaho.
• Kansas City, MO: Kansas City is moving toward a new temporary short-term rental program that would let residents rent out their homes during major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Plainfield, NJ: Plainfield’s proposed short-term rental ordinance faces pushback as residents argue the 90-night annual cap and owner-occupancy requirement would effectively shut down most STR operations.
• Natchez, MS: The Natchez Board of Aldermen backed the Planning Commission’s decision to grant a variance for a Homochitto Street short-term rental.
• Flagstaff, AZ: The City of Flagstaff has released an interactive map that shows the location of all short-term rentals and provides emergency contact information for each property.
• Galveston, TX: Galveston tightened oversight of short-term rentals by approving an ordinance that lets a new committee revoke licenses after three violations in a year.
• Manistee, MI: Manistee short-term rental owners must register their units by Dec. 31 under the city’s ordinance, which limits rentals outside the overlay district to 165 units, or roughly 5% of residential parcels.
• Columbia, SC: Columbia’s Planning Commission voted 5-3 to reject proposed zoning restrictions that would have limited short-term rentals like Airbnbs to commercial and mixed-use areas, while allowing some exceptions for properties on four-lane roads.
• Biloxi, MS: Airbnb has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Biloxi of illegally restricting short-term rentals through ordinances that ban STRs in most residential zones and cap permits at 75.
• New Franklin, OH: New Franklin City Council continued discussions on proposed short-term rental regulations, which would govern rentals of fewer than 30 days.
• Belton, MO: Belton’s City Council advanced the first reading of an ordinance that would finally legalize short-term rentals under a controlled framework, limiting them to Old Town and large lots of three acres or more.
• Lake Elmo, MN: Lake Elmo officials reviewed their approach to short-term rentals after identifying roughly 11 active listings, emphasizing that the city currently only permits owner-occupied bed-and-breakfasts with tight restrictions.
• Bellaire, TX: Bellaire city staff briefed the Planning & Zoning Commission on a proposed short-term rental ordinance that would ban rentals under 30 days in residential zones, giving existing operators 180 days to comply.
• Montgomery, AL: Montgomery officials are advancing a new short-term rental framework that aims to regulate the city’s 587 mostly unlicensed STRs and address neighborhood concerns about rapid STR proliferation.
• Albany County, NY: Albany County is considering a new law requiring short-term rental hosts to register their properties and pay the county’s hotel occupancy tax.
• Green Bay, WI: Green Bay’s debate over short-term rentals drew a packed house as residents and STR owners weighed in on proposed rule changes, including a 180-day annual rental cap.
• Spring Lake, NJ: Spring Lake Borough Council has introduced Ordinance 2025-006 to address resident concerns over high-turnover short-term rentals, including a cap of four rental turnovers per property per year and a ban on stays of six days or fewer.
• Seattle, WA: An ordinance updating short-term rental tax allocations was sent to the full City Council, replacing fixed amounts with a spending order prioritizing debt service, EDI grants, and permanent supportive housing.
• Riverhead, NY: Riverhead is considering new enforcement language to close evidentiary gaps in its prohibition on short-term rentals of fewer than 30 days.
• Nantucket, MA: Nantucket’s long-running lawsuit over the legality of short-term rentals has officially ended after voters approved a zoning amendment on Nov. 4 that classifies STRs as a principal use in all residential districts.
• Port Hueneme, CA: On Nov. 17, councilmembers directed staff to revise the draft short-term rental ordinance by narrowing exterior-sign requirements and eliminating a spacing rule.
• Columbus, MS: A new Columbus STR ordinance passed in October now requires all short-term rental operators to obtain annual permits, designate a local property manager, and display detailed safety and contact information inside and outside their rentals.

📲 Social Buzz

📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:

• Columbia, SC: Columbia officials are reexamining short-term rental regulations after a shooting at an Earlewood Airbnb hosting a teen gathering.

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

Laketown Township extends moratorium on new short-term rentals until summer 2026

Laketown Township extends its moratorium on new short-term rentals until June 2026. What are your thoughts on STR regulations?

FOX 17 West Michigan News (WXMI)By: Josh Berry

Laketown Township extends moratorium on new short-term rentals until summer 2026

Laketown Township has extended its moratorium on new short-term rental licenses for non-owner-occupied homes until June 30, 2026. Existing STRs can continue operating, and the pause may be lifted early if the township completes its enforcement framework sooner.

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