VRMA Administrator
Louisville, Kentucky, Metro Council member Markus Winkler wants the city's Planning Commission to revisit the enforcement of regulations on short-term rentals. Areas under consideration include new penalties for operators who do not register with the city, and automatic license revocation hearings prompted by repeat violations of local law. The city's current short-term rental ordinance directs anyone hosting a short-term rental to apply for a license and pay $100 each year; post the license registration number alongside any ads on hosting platforms such as Airbnb or Vrbo; and register with the Louisville Metro Revenue Commission and pay the transient room tax. Failure to register could lead to a $125 fine, which Winkler calls trivial compared to hosts' profits. Council Member Cassie Chambers Armstrong said she organized a short-term rental advisory group whose recommendations also focused on enforcement issues, including automatic revocation for repeat offenders. "Just from a due process perspective, we have to be clear in the law about what the expectations are, so if you're going to have [revocation] hearings, everyone knows what the process is," she explained. Winkler's resolution asks the Planning Commission to revisit the 600-feet rule — which bans someone from opening a new short-term rental within 600 feet of another property that is not the operator's primary residence — in view of legislation passed last year that allows residents to build "accessory dwelling units." That provision is worrying to Council Member Bill Hollander, who expressed concerns "about any provisions that take housing stock away from people who live here everyday and turn it over to tourists."
WFPL News (09/21/22) Roberto Roldan
