The Shawnee City Council Committee is getting closer to setting new rules and restrictions for short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO.
On Monday evening, the committee reached a consensus for amendments to Shawnee Municipal Code Chapter 5 to regulate short-term rentals through the city’s business licensing department.
Short-term rental property owners would also face penalties if they violate existing ordinances, like noise violations or health and safety codes.
Because the proposed ordinance was a discussion for city staff on Monday, no vote was taken.
License fees for Shawnee Airbnbs would go up
The amendment defines short-term rentals as properties that are rented out homes for less than 30 days.
It would require those homes to now acquire a business license.
The cost of that license will be discussed at a future council meeting, but staff suggested it be raised from $20 to between $250 and $500.
If a short-term rental operates without an approved business license, the city would get in touch with the renter’s parent company, such as Airbnb or VRBO, and ask them to remove the listing from their site.
Regulations are included in the process
Under the proposal, short-term rentals would have to limit the number of guests to two adults per bedroom, plus an additional two adults, with a maximum of 10 adults, plus children on the property.
The proposal would also require short-term rentals to abide by the Shawnee Code of Ordinances, including:
- Health and safety regulations in Title 8.
- Noise restrictions and public peace, moral and welfare listed in Title 9.
- Parking restrictions listed in Title 10.
This comes after previous meetings where neighbors in residential areas in Shawnee complained about crowded parties and alleged drunken behavior and sexual harassment originating from short-term rental properties.
Owners could face a minimum fine of $500 and/or jail time, depending on the violations, city attorney Jenny Smith said. She added that those ordinances are already enforceable and could be enacted soon.
“Theoretically speaking, if we have a noise ordinance violation, we could cite the owner of the short-term rental, and we could cite the people who are renting the short-term rental,” she said. “These are all regulations that are currently on the books, and we could start implementing this tomorrow.”
City council could revoke rental properties’ license
Shawnee City Attorney Jenny Smith said, under the propose rules, short-term rental properties would hold a combination of a business license and a special use permit.
If there are complaints about the property, it would be taken up in a public hearing with the city council to decide whether or not to continue to license the property as a short-term rental.
“We’d have to provide each short-term rental with a notice, and they would be able to come forward and talk about the alleged violations,” Smith said. “This body would have the ultimate authority to decide whether or not the business license should continue or if it should be revoked.”
Residents had suggestions
Some residents spoke during the public hearing Monday and didn’t raise any major qualms about the proposed new regulations,
Megan Duma, a real estate attorney who also runs an Airbnb in Shawnee, said she thought they were sensible.
“This also just does a good job of honoring property rights of the people of Shawnee that are property owners and short-term rental people,” she said. “I just think it’s a very well-written ordinance.”
Residents suggested additional proposals, like exploring stricter restrictions on parking on the road and raising the cost of business licenses to weed out bad property renters.
“I agree you should raise the fee and put a portion of that towards enforcement, however you guys want to do it,” Duma said.
Council had mostly positive reactions
After the public hearing closed, councilmembers including Laurel Burchfield raised questions about how plausible it would be to enforce the proposed new rules.
“If you give us direction to enforce it, we’ll figure out a way to get it done,” Smith said.
Supporting a ban of all short-term rentals in residential areas from the start, councilmember Tony Gillette stuck by that opinion.
“I think a ban is still the right way to go long term,” he said. “This may be a very good step in the right direction, but I think its problems persist across the nation. These things happen on the coast, they come to the middle of the country later. So we need to be aware of this.”
Meanwhile, Councilmember Kurt Knappen said he was satisfied with the ordinance.
“It’s pretty bulletproof,” he said “It’s not perfect. It may not be everything that the homeowners want. But it’s it’s pretty darn good.”
Go deeper: Shawnee Airbnb owners push back against banning rentals. What will city do?
