The Superior Board of Trustees discussed an ordinance for short-term rentals and how to enforce the regulations during its Monday board meeting
Superior code does not currently prohibit or permit short-term rentals in town, and short-term rentals are not currently defined in the town’s code. The ordinance would define short-term rentals as a residential property that can be rented for a period of 30 days or less.
By placing regulations on short-term rentals, the town can require the properties to be licensed and collect fees and taxes on the listings. The ordinance would require property owners to get a short-term rental license which must be renewed every year and require approval from a Homeowners Association if applicable. The ordinance would also place limits on occupancy and prohibit multiple short-term rental properties on the same lot.
The board suggested the ordinance require the owner to occupy the property for at least 51% of the year or require the short-term rental be the property manager’s primary residence.
Town Attorney Nicholas Hartman said the ordinance also states that initial complaints will be addressed to the property owner, who has an hour to address the complaint or 30 minutes if the complaint occurs between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. He said that rule was a way to ensure that someone can address any problems at the property promptly while not requiring them to be to physically stay at the property at the time of rentals.
Trustee Bob McCool was concerned about how short-term rentals could affect neighborhood character, and wanted to ensure the ordinance soften their impact on neighborhoods.
“We just don’t have a great way to enforce,” McCool said.
Town Manager Matt Magley said the town would likely hire a third party to help track and manage short-term rentals in town, and further details on any financial and budget impacts will be discussed at the second reading of the ordinance.
A short-term rental owner said during public comment that while many property owners are in favor of an ordinance, the current verbiage on the ordinance does not give owners ample time to prepare to get a license.
The ordinance does not allow owners to market their property up to 30 days before applying to the license, but the resident said short-term rental owners often book out their properties months in advance, and owners need time to be able to blackout rental dates.
Hartman said that passing the ordinance would only be the first step toward short-term rental regulations, and the ordinance would create a licensing regime that property owners would have to follow.
