Council Adopts Pilot Program to Establish Regulations for Short-Term Rentals

At its March 12 meeting, the City Council amended Addison’s Code of Ordinances in order to establish regulations for short-term rentals. Given the popularity of apps such as Airbnb, the use of short-term rentals in residential areas, including Addison, has increased.

The new ordinance requires property owners offering short-term rentals to register with the Town. Registration would be good for a period of one year and costs $25. Additionally, the ordinance would impose certain operational standards including prohibiting the renting of a home as a party venue. The property owner would be required to provide renters with their contact information, as well as pertinent information regarding local rules and requirements for things such as parking, noise, and trash collection.

The Town would be required to send notice to properties within 200 feet of the short-term rental property. This notice would provide adjacent property owners with information about the ordinance requirements, as well as a 24-hour complaint line, which would be the Town's non-emergency dispatch number.  Lastly, the ordinance amends the definition of a hotel to include short-term rentals. This change allows the Town to collect hotel taxes from short-term rentals.

The ordinance, which will go into effect on May 1, includes a sunset provision after one year, requiring the City Council to review and adjust or extend these requirements by April 30, 2020. The Town will be sending out additional information about how to register a property as a short-term rental in the near future.