Weekly Regulatory Briefing (8) 02/20/2026

🏡Top Stories This Week

• Buena Vista, CO: Buena Vista has extended a temporary moratorium on new short-term rental licenses through September 2026 while officials review and potentially update local STR policies following significant public feedback.
• Ocean City, MD: Ocean City has lifted its short-term rental moratorium after the town council voted unanimously to rescind the ordinance, despite a petition gathering enough signatures to trigger a referendum.

🌍 Regional Highlights

• Idaho: Idaho short-term rental owners moved closer to statewide regulatory relief as the House approved House Bill 583, limiting local governments’ authority over STRs and allowing only minimal safety and occupancy rules while prohibiting licensing, registration, or STR-specific fees.
• Kentucky: The Joint City-County Planning Commission cautions that a pending Kentucky measure could require major changes to local short-term rental rules by preventing cities from enforcing conditional use approvals or density-based limits.
• Arizona: Arizona lawmakers are advancing a revised short-term rental bill that would give cities limited new enforcement tools after broader efforts to cap or restrict STR growth failed amid industry opposition.

📜 New Ordinances Approved

• Bellevue, KY: Bellevue officials unanimously approved a resolution opposing a proposed state bill that would limit local authority over short-term rentals by preventing cities from enforcing zoning and regulatory controls.
• Chikaming Township, MI: Chikaming Township Board adopted a new short-term rental ordinance on Feb. 12 after months of research, committee work, and public input, with the rules taking effect March 23 following a publication notice.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Evanston, IL: The Evanston City Council has delayed for a second straight meeting a vote on a proposed short-term rental ordinance that would cap licenses at one per 100 long-term rental units, require 600 feet between rentals, mandate that property managers live in Evanston or within three miles, and force platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo to obtain a city license to operate.
• Cape Coral, FL: Cape Coral officials are laying the groundwork for a more aggressive short-term rental enforcement program by directing staff to establish a restricted fund that will capture revenue from newly increased registration fees and dedicate it solely to compliance efforts.
• Kingston, NY: The Kingston Common Council is advancing a proposal to raise the city’s lodging tax from the 3% originally proposed by Mayor Steve Noble to 5%.
• Hernando County, FL: Officials in Hernando County plan to revise a short-term rental ordinance to adopt state lodging rules while adding local capacity and parking limits.
• Newport Beach, CA: City officials in Newport Beach approved expanded Safety Enhancement Zones covering spring break and major summer holidays.
• Columbia Falls, MT: City leaders in Columbia Falls are weighing new regulations to address enforcement challenges and housing impacts tied to short-term rentals.
• Coeur D Alene, ID: The city of Coeur d’Alene is pushing back against Idaho House Bill 583, which would limit how cities regulate short-term rentals by classifying them as a lawful residential use and preventing stricter local rules than those applied to comparable housing.
• Tisbury, MA: Tisbury officials are exploring ways to increase revenue from short-term rentals, including a potential three percent community impact fee and the elimination of the town’s 75-night annual cap on rentals.
• Fort Wright, KY: Fort Wright leaders are formally opposing Senate Bill 112 as part of a broader regional response from Northern Kentucky municipalities seeking to preserve local control over short-term rental regulation.
• Pullman, WA: Pullman Planning Commission will take additional public comment as it considers easing the city’s recently adopted short-term rental regulations, including a proposal to exempt owner-occupied rentals with two bedrooms or fewer from permit, fee, and inspection requirements.
• DeLand, FL: DeLand officials are set to review the city’s long-standing ban on short-term rentals following mounting resident complaints about widespread violations and ongoing enforcement challenges.
• Pittsfield Township, MI: Pittsfield Township has finalized new short-term rental regulations after months of debate, responding to resident complaints about noise, large events, and poorly maintained properties.
• Honolulu, HI: Honolulu continues to apply lodging taxes and daily fees to short-term rentals as part of a broader strategy to fund tourism management and public services, with policymakers emphasizing sustainability and community impact rather than changing rates in 2025–2026.
• New York City, NY: A ruling from the New York City Tax Appeals Tribunal clarified that short-term rentals in New York City can be subject to the Hotel Room Occupancy Tax based on how units are marketed, furnished, and controlled, not whether traditional hotel services are offered.
• Sweetwater County, WY: Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners voted to revise and re-advertise proposed amendments to the county’s short-term rental zoning rules after receiving mixed public feedback on how STRs should be regulated.
• Wayne, NJ: Wayne officials are considering an ordinance that would ban short-term rentals of 29 days or less following resident complaints about large parties and neighborhood disruptions.
• Carson City, NV: Carson City supervisors are set to discuss potential short-term rental (STR) regulations during their annual retreat Friday at the new Fire Station 55 and Emergency Operations Center.
• Greenville County, SC: Greenville County is beginning to explore regulations for short-term rentals after residents raised quality-of-life concerns about noise, parking, and trash in established neighborhoods.
• Columbia, SC: Columbia City Council moved forward on Tuesday to repeal the current moratorium on new short-term rentals, a restriction originally enacted after a June 2025 shooting at an Airbnb that left one person dead and three injured.
• Decatur, AL: Decatur officials have finalized an agreement with Deckard Technologies to manage enforcement of the city’s newly adopted short-term rental regulations, which limit most residential STRs to 150 units and introduce new licensing, inspection, and compliance requirements.
• Laketown Township, MI: Laketown Township Planning Commission is evaluating new short-term rental restrictions that would reduce maximum occupancy from 16 to 10 guests and limit rentals in residential zones to accessory dwelling units only.
• Traverse City, MI: Officials in Traverse City signaled that any housing built on six publicly owned west-downtown parcels will prohibit short-term rentals, tying the restriction to long-term workforce housing goals and affordability protections.

📲 Social Buzz

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📅 Future Meetings and Public Hearings/Comments:

• Kingston, NY

• Laketown Township, MI: Commissioners are scheduled to continue discussions March 4, with any final recommendations advancing to the township board for potential adoption.

• Traverse City, MI

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

Laketown Township mulls proposal to limit short-term rentals

Laketown Township, Michigan is considering rules to allow short-term rentals mainly in mixed-use zones while limiting residential areas to owner-occupied accessory units and cutting occupancy from 16 to 10. The current moratorium on new standalone STRs expires June 30, 2026.

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