Kentucky General Assembly Mulling Crackdown on Local Government Regulations of STRs

10/23/2024

A lobbyist for the short-term rental industry urged a Kentucky legislative committee Tuesday to pass legislation tamping down local governments’ ability to regulate vacation rentals listed on platforms. The industry wants two bills, one outlawing conditional use permits for short-term rentals and a second allowing tenants to rent out their apartments if the owner of the property gives permission. Many local governments, including Louisville, Lexington, and Frankfort, require unhosted short-term rentals — where the owner does not live on site — to get a conditional use permit, a type of permit granted by planning boards. “They are being used on people’s private residents to create a lot of hoops to jump through,” said Jason Underwood, of Capitol Strategies, a lobbyist for the STR industry. “It’s the not-in-my-backyard attitude that stifles growth.”

Lexington Herald-Leader (10/22/24) Beth Musgrave