Agenda Date: 7/31/2018
Subject:
Title
Short-Term Rentals
Body
Presented By:
Steve Kemp, City Attorney and Jocelyn Mills, Community Development Director
REQUESTED COUNCIL ACTION:
Does city council support amending Title 10 of the zoning code regarding short-term rentals?
BACKGROUND:
Short-term rentals are defined as the rental of all or part of a parcel of property for 30 days or less. These types of rentals have become a significant issue across the nation.
People historically have rented out rooms or houses by word of mouth or advertising. With the development of the Internet and websites such as Airbnb.com and HomeAway.com, it is now possible for people to advertise and rent out their homes and/or spare bedrooms to anyone, anywhere with only a few mouse-clicks or taps on a smartphone screen. As a result, across the country the number of homes listed for short-term rent has grown over the last five years. A quick snapshot of the AirBnB, VRBO, and Home2Go websites, indicate there may be up to 100 within the municipal boundaries of Littleton.
With the growth of short-term rentals it may be lucrative for private citizens to become part-time innkeepers; however, most of the negative impacts are borne by the neighbors and surrounding community who may not be getting anything in return. This policy discussion focuses on the issue of whether it makes sense to regulate short-term rentals and preserve as many of the benefits as possible while not turning neighbors and other local community members into "innocent bystanders."
STAFF ANALYSIS:
Introduction/Education:
In previous discussions, there appears to be three broad goals relating to the regulation of short-term rentals. First, preserve compatibility between individual's rights to use their property and the existing neighborhood, recognizing legitimate property rights. Second, have appropriate regulations in place to protect public health and safety. Third, provide adequate regulations to ensure t...
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