Weekly Regulatory Briefing (47)

🏡Top Stories This Week

• Oxford, MS: Oxford’s Board of Aldermen has approved a resolution confirming that short-term rentals must collect and remit the hotel/motel tax under a Mississippi law that took effect July 1.

🌍 Regional Highlights

• Michigan: A package of Michigan bills (HB 5138, 5139, and 5140) could allow local governments to impose a voter-approved 3% excise tax on short-term rentals, hotels, and motels to fund infrastructure and essential services.
• North Carolina: Western North Carolina’s short-term rental industry is bracing for potential impacts from the state Rate Bureau’s request to raise dwelling insurance premiums by more than 68% over two years.
• New York: New York’s Office of Special Enforcement shut down the Kiki Club subletting platform and secured a $152,000 settlement after finding the company facilitated unregistered short-term rentals.
• Florida: Florida lawmakers are considering new safety rules for short-term rentals after a Scripps News investigation revealed numerous child drownings in vacation home pools.

📜 New Ordinances Approved

• Norfolk, NE: Norfolk officials unanimously approved a zoning change that clears the way for the former Carnegie Library to operate as a short-term rental property.
• Manteno, IL: The Village of Manteno approved a new short-term rental licensing ordinance after removing three contested provisions: a hotel-tax reference, a license-plate retention requirement, and a 24-hour vacancy rule.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Aspen, CO: Aspen updated its short-term rental rules on Nov. 18 to make the permitting system more efficient and responsive to operator and community concerns.
• Jamestown, RI: Jamestown officials are weighing significant changes to their short-term rental ordinance after Councilwoman Mary Meagher proposed new restrictions aimed at addressing community conflict and regulatory gaps.
• Riverhead, NY: Riverhead’s Town Board voted to override the state’s 2% tax levy cap and approve a $121.1 million budget for 2026.
• Pittsfield, MI: Pittsfield Township’s Planning Commission voted on new short-term rental restrictions following months of neighborhood complaints about noise, fireworks, and event-style gatherings.
• Kansas City, MO: Kansas City residents are gearing up to host World Cup visitors after the City Council approved a new “major event” category for short-term rentals, potentially lowering permit fees to $50 during high-demand periods.
• Alpine, TX: Alpine councilors unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinance 2025-12-01, a proposal that rewrites the city’s short-term rental regulations and sets fines of up to $2,000 for violations.
• Hocking County, OH: Hocking County officials are advancing a countywide short-term rental ordinance to address safety problems raised by fire, EMS, and zoning officials as tourism surges.
• Midway, UT: Midway residents are urging the city to tighten regulations on its Transient Rental Overlay District (TROD) after repeated complaints about noise, large parties, and unlicensed rentals near residential areas.
• Columbia, TN: Columbia is reminding short-term rental owners that nonconformity applications are due by December 31, 2025, for STRs located in zoning districts where rentals will no longer be allowed starting January 1, 2026.
• Clinton County, NY: Clinton County officials are reminding short-term rental operators that they must register with the Treasurer’s Office and file quarterly reports, regardless of whether a booking platform collects taxes for them.
• Riverhead, NY: Riverhead is weighing amendments to its short-term rental code that would make enforcement easier and allow prosecutors to rely on online listings, reviews, and visible turnover as evidence of illegal rentals under 30 days.
• Kearney, NE: Kearney planners are still reviewing code changes that would establish permits and regulations for short-term rentals while updating rules for downtown residential units.
• Princeton, NJ: Princeton is introducing a new short-term rental ordinance that would require STR operators to use the property as their principal residence.

🌐 Global Notes

• Ottawa, ON: Ottawa is proposing a two-year Major Festivals Fund that would provide $1 million annually to festivals with the strongest tourism and economic impact.
• Vancouver, BC: Vancouver’s newly approved World Cup by-law framework is creating a more flexible operating environment that’s likely to benefit short-term rentals during the tournament.
• Spain: Spain’s mandatory digital registration system for tourist rentals, introduced in July 2024, has already issued more than 370,000 identification numbers through its unified national portal.
• Wales: Airbnb and other industry voices are pushing back against Wales’ plan to introduce licensing for self-catering short-term rentals
• Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh has seen major changes to its short-let landscape following licensing rules implemented in 2023.
• Australia: Australian governments are increasingly tightening rules on short-term rentals as they look for ways to ease housing shortages.
• The Bahamas: The Bahamas has become the latest Caribbean country to adopt new tourism taxes as part of a regional push to improve travel infrastructure and sustainability.
• Malaysia: Rising demand for short-term rental accommodations in Malaysia is renewing calls for a unified national law to regulate the industry.
• Budapest, Hungary: New restrictions on short-term rentals in Budapest are reshaping neighbourhood preferences, especially after Erzsébetváros joined Terézváros in prohibiting new STR permits.

📲 Social Buzz

📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments

• Riverhead, NY: Public comments on the amendments will remain open until Friday.

• New York: New York City is considering Intro. 0948, a proposal that would partially roll back Local Law 18’s strict short-term rental limits.

• Gallatin County, MT: Gallatin County is moving ahead with a major zoning text amendment that would formally define short-term rental uses and establish related operating standards, with commissioners setting a Dec. 9 public hearing to review the proposal.

• Spring Lake Heights, NJ: After months of resident complaints about disruptive short-term rentals, Spring Lake Heights introduced a stricter ordinance that adds new limits on stay length, occupancy, and renter eligibility. The council will hold a public hearing on Dec. 15.

• Sandpoint, ID: Sandpoint’s Planning and Zoning Commission delayed its recommendation on proposed short-term rental ordinance changes, pushing the discussion to Dec. 16 for more work on parking, occupancy limits, and a definition of “neighborhood integrity.”

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

Spring Lake Tightens Rental Rules as Summer Crowds Grow and Complaints Rise

Spring Lake is advancing a major overhaul of its rental rules with Ordinance 2025-006, proposing a cap of four rental turnovers per year and reinforcing its ban on stays of six days or fewer to curb “party house” issues and stabilize neighborhoods. The update also tightens safety standards, insurance requirements, and RCO procedures ahead of a final vote on December 2.

Social Listening 🎧: Podcast

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