Weekly Regulatory Briefing (50)
Each week, we bring together the biggest updates in short-term rental regulations from coast to coast. Whether it’s fresh local regulations, emerging trends, or major discussions, our briefing provides all you need to stay in the know.
Each week, we bring together the biggest updates in short-term rental regulations from coast to coast. Whether it’s fresh local regulations, emerging trends, or major discussions, our briefing provides all you need to stay in the know.
🏡 Top Stories This Week
- 🌅 South Haven, MI: South Haven’s City Council has extended the moratorium on new short-term rental permits for six months, originally set to end in December.
- 🏜️ Scottsdale, AZ: Short-term rental concerns in Scottsdale are escalating as neighbors report noise, illegal activity, and safety issues linked to some of the city's 4,000 vacation properties.
Genelaine Urbano
Continue reading on Daily Notes 12/10/2024...
- 🏠 Shawnee, KS: The city of Shawnee will host its first public hearing on a short-term rental case since implementing new regulations in March.
- 🌄 Washington County, UT: The local housing market is under increasing strain as short-term rental listings in Washington County climb to nearly 3,700, comprising 4% of the housing stock.
Genelaine Urbano
Continue reading the report on Daily Notes 12/11/2024...
- 🏙️ Buffalo, NY: Buffalo has enacted a 60-day moratorium on special-use permits for non-owner-occupied short-term rentals in residential and single-family zones, aiming to address neighborhood tensions caused by an influx of unregulated rentals.
🌍 Regional Highlights
- 🏘️ Michigan: State Representative Joey Andrews is finalizing a legislative package to regulate short-term rentals in Michigan, with a vote in the House potentially occurring next week. The proposed laws would empower municipalities to impose limits on the number of short-term rental properties but stop short of allowing outright bans.
- 🗽 New York: The "Tenants Not Tourists" campaign was launched this week to oppose New York City Council's proposed Intro. 1107, arguing the bill could worsen the city's housing crisis.
- ⛰️ Colorado: Colorado’s 2025 legislative session may revive contentious debates over short-term rental regulations, with proposals such as applying vacancy taxes on underused homes and higher lodging tax caps for unincorporated areas being considered.
📜 New Ordinances Approved
- 🏠 Lexington, KY: Starting December 12, new regulations will introduce significant restrictions such as: capping STRs to 2% of housing units within 1,000 feet of residential zones, limiting hosted occupancy to 10 people, and more.
- 🌴 Escondido, CA: Escondido has passed its first short-term rental regulations including permits, business licenses, transient occupancy tax payments, and. A three-year pilot program will be launched in July 2025.
- 🌊 Queen Anne County, MD: A new short-term rental ordinance seeks to permit short-term rentals in all zoning districts but imposes regulations, including annual zoning certificates and more.
- 🏛️ Frankfort, KY: In a unanimous vote, Frankfort introduced zoning and licensing rules for short-term rentals, capping non-owner-occupied rentals in historic and special districts.
- 🌳 Magnolia, TX: Magnolia City Council approved a new ordinance requiring operators to obtain permits within 90 days.
Genelaine Urbano
Continue reading on Daily Notes 12/12/2024...
- 🏞️ Eau Claire, WI: Last December 10, Eau Claire approved new regulations, amending its zoning code and removing duration limits on minimum stays and annual caps amongst additional rules.
- 🏖️ Myrtle Beach, SC: Myrtle Beach banned converting beachfront motels into apartments and finalized its short-term rental overlay ordinance following robust public feedback.
💬 Catch Up on Discussions
- 🌟 Chagrin Falls, OH: Property owners in Chagrin Falls must register their short-term rentals by December 12 to comply with the town’s new regulations or face potential misdemeanor charges.
- 🌊 Del Mar, CA: Del Mar capped short-term rentals at 129, or 5% of housing stock, making market entry more challenging for new operators under rules passed in September.
- 🏙️ Portland, OR: The Portland City Council postponed a vote on new safety measures for short-term rentals amid concerns raised by operators and city officials.
- 🌴 Los Angeles, CA: Thousands of illegal short-term rentals persist in Los Angeles, defying enforcement efforts under the 2019 Home Sharing Ordinance.
Genelaine Urbano
Continue reading on Daily Notes 12/9/2024...
- 🌟 Houston, TX: Houston is advancing short-term rental regulations as listings in some neighborhoods have risen 19% since 2019.
- 🏞️ Lexington County, SC: Starting January 2025, Lexington County will enforce short-term rental rules, addressing noise and parking issues.
Genelaine Urbano
Continue reading on Daily Notes 12/10/2024...
- ⚓ Fairport Harbor Village, OH: Fairport Harbor Village delayed voting on two short-term rental ordinances, leaving regulation undecided.
- 🌾 Sauk Rapids, MN: Sauk Rapids is considering stricter density limits for short-term rentals, reducing the cap from 30% to 15% of homes per block.
- 🌅 Mary Esther, FL: The city dropped a proposed ordinance and will instead track short-term rentals via a new business tax receipt program.
Genelaine Urbano
Continue reading on Daily Notes 12/11/2024...
- 🏖️ Sussex County, DE: Sussex County plans to expand its 3% lodging tax to short-term rentals, aligning with the state’s 4.5% tax.
- 🌳 Marin County, CA: Marin County has begun licensing short-term rentals under new rules addressing local concerns.
- 🚀 Huntsville, AL: Rapid short-term rental growth in Huntsville has triggered 40 lawsuits over unlicensed operations and complaints from residents.
Genelaine Urbano
Continue reading on Daily Notes 12/12/2024...
- 🗽 Shawangunk, NY: The town is finalizing new short-term rental regulations including requiring registration, inspections, and more, expected to take effect in 2025.
- 🏄 Pacifica, CA: Pacifica banned non-hosted short-term rentals in multi-family units, limiting them to 90 days per year.
- 🌆 Whittier, CA: Whittier delayed finalizing its short-term rental ordinance, opting to gather more community feedback.
Let’s Explore: Emerging Trends 🌱
Communities are responding to the changing short-term rental (STR) landscape by implementing measures to address rising challenges. From stricter rule enforcement and legal battles to efforts aimed at minimizing neighborhood disruptions, these actions reflect the dynamic nature of STR regulations and their impact on local areas.
What this means:
📊 Increased Use of Moratoriums and Caps to Manage STR Growth: Cities like South Haven, Buffalo, and Frankfort are extending or implementing moratoriums and strict caps on short-term rental permits. These measures aim to give policymakers time to address housing shortages, neighborhood disruptions, and the strain on local infrastructure caused by the rapid expansion of STRs.
🧷 Push for Localized Regulation with Statewide Support: States like Michigan and Colorado are advancing legislative initiatives empowering municipalities to regulate STRs. These efforts balance state-level consistency with local governments' ability to address unique community needs, reflecting a growing trend of shared regulatory responsibility.
🔔 Shift Toward Compliance and Enforcement Programs: Cities such as Huntsville, Del Mar, and Marin County are focusing on strengthening enforcement mechanisms, including licensing programs and penalties for unregistered STRs. This shift underscores the need for regulatory compliance to address noise, overcrowding, and unregulated operations in the STR market.
📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:
- Sauk Rapids, MN: Sauk Rapids is considering a stricter rental density cap, proposing to limit short-term rentals to 15% of homes per block, down from the current 30% allowance. City staff argue this measure is necessary to address maintenance issues, nuisance complaints, and potential property value declines associated with high rental densities. The council will hold a special city council meeting on December 16.
- Fairport Harbor Village, OH: Fairport Harbor Village Council has decided to delay voting on two ordinances that would regulate short-term rental properties. The ordinances, 2024-80 and 2024-81, were set for a third reading on Nov. 19 but have been tabled to allow more time for review. The council plans to discuss revisions to Ordinance 2024-80 at the December 17 meeting, with a public hearing for Ordinance 2024-81 scheduled for January 7, 2025.
- Buffalo, NY: The Buffalo Common Council has enacted a temporary 60-day moratorium on short-term rental permits to address rising community concerns about neighborhood impacts. The moratorium targets residential and single-family zoned areas, excluding the University and North Districts. Further legislative review will take place on December 17.