The Unified Government is considering a new ordinance governing Short-Term Rentals (STRs), in which a property owner rents out a home to visitors for less than 30 days at a time, often using a platform like AirBnB or VRBO.
Background:
STRs have been required to get a Special Use Permit, which requires public notice and review by the UG Planning Commission, since 2019. However, only about 29% of STRs advertised in WyCo have gotten this permit. The majority of STRs in WyCo/KCK are in Rosedale and in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood.
Types of STRs:
Owner Occupied STRs have the owner as a resident of the property or very nearby. Some factors to consider with this model include:
- On-site owners are available to their neighbors and to solve any issues that may arise with their guests.
- Income from operating the STR goes to a WyCo resident
- The home provides housing to a long-term WyCo resident, as well as providing a service to guests
Non-Owner Occupied STRs do not have an owner on site. Some factors to consider with this model include:
- The owner may live anywhere, and may designate a local agent to care for the property and respond to issues, allowing anyone to invest in WyCo residential real estate
- The owner may be less responsive to issues and less personally invested in the neighborhood
- These types of STRs tend to be preferred by STR users.
- These houses are only used for STR (commercial) purposes, and do not provide housing to people living in WyCo.
- A high concentration of non-owner-occupied STRs may affect the character and social fabric of a neighborhood, as multiple homes are occupied only by short-term guests and not available to full-time neighbors.
Proposed changes:
First, under the new ordinance, a limit is set on how many Special Use Permits can be issued in an area– no more than one per city block. For multi-family buildings, only a certain percentage of the building, based on the size of the building, may be used for Short-Term Rentals.
Second, while the new ordinance still requires both types of STRs to obtain a Special Use Permit, permits for owner-occupied STRs are valid for longer time periods than those for non-owner occupied STRs (which tend to need more oversight.)
Finally, under the new ordinance any complaints regarding an STR (i.e., noise complaints, police calls, codes violations) are considered when deciding whether to renew a Special Use Permit.
Read the draft ordinance here and slides from a presentation on the draft ordinance here. The UG will consider this ordinance at the Administration and Human Services Standing Committee meeting on Monday, April 24th.Â
For instructions on attending that meeting in person or via zoom, click here.
