Short-term rentals, like Airbnbs and VRBOs, are once again in the spotlight in Johnson County.
The Fairway City Council on Monday voted 7-0 to approve changes to its short-term rental licensing policy, including a rule imposing a 1,000-foot buffer from other rentals for a property to obtain a new short-term rental license.
This move comes less than a month after the city of Shawnee set new short-term rental regulations, including requiring rental owners to obtain a business license through the city in order to operate.
Last week, a city of Overland Park committee opted to maintain that city’s status quo — for now — on short-term rental regulations following a years-long discussion prompted by a deadly shooting in 2022 at a home that had been rented out for a party.
As the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City gets closer, though, other northeast Johnson County cities are in discussions about short-term rentals, too.
Here’s a look at how northeast Johnson County currently handles short-term rentals, and whether any regulation updates are on the horizon.
Fairway: Adding more restrictions
The Fairway City Council, after two administration and finance committee discussions on the topic, updated its short-term rental licensing policy.
City Administrator Nathan Nogelmeier told the city council on March 11 that residents have posed concerns about pockets of Airbnbs or VRBOs, especially in Ward 4 (between Roe Avenue and Mission Road, south of 59th Street).
Below are some of the changes the city council approved:
- Short-term rentals eligible for a license must be at least 1,000 feet from another short-term rental property.
- No shuttle or party buses are allowed to pick up or drop off people at short-term rentals.
- On-street parking is prohibited at short-term rentals, and all vehicles must be parked legally on the property with a limit of three vehicles total.
- Short-term rentals must be booked for a minimum of three consecutive nights.
- If the owner of a short-term rental lives more than 50 miles away from the licensed property, then the owner needs to designate an individual who lives within 50 miles of the rental as a contact or agent.
Nogelmeier noted that if an existing short-term rental changes ownership and the new owner wants to apply for a license with the city of Fairway, then that property will be subject to the 1,000-foot buffer.
“It’s going to be virtually impossible to put in a new short-term rental in Fairway that doesn’t violate that 1,000-foot space,” Ward 4 Councilmember David Watkins said. “There are places, but there aren’t very many.”
Lenexa: A wait and see approach
The city of Lenexa requires all rental properties to obtain a license, but short-term rentals are treated no differently than long-term rentals, according to the city.
Denise Rendina, Lenexa’s city spokesperson, told the Post that the city is monitoring how surrounding cities are handling short-term rental regulations for now.
Mission: Currently no rules on the books
There are still no specific short-term rental regulations in Mission currently.
City Administrator Laura Smith said the city has had limited conversations over the past year and a half about short-term rentals.
Mission has monitored the ongoing discussion in surrounding communities and anticipates “having more comprehensive discussions in the future,” Smith said.
Merriam: Working on updating its policy
Currently, the city of Merriam’s code treats short-term rentals like VRBOs and AirBnbs as rental units. This subjects them to landlord licensing and rental inspection requirements.
Jenna Gant, the city’s communications and public engagement manager, told the Post that the city council on Feb. 26 directed staff to revisit and review current regulations.
In particular, the city council asked staff to compare regulations to those of recently changed rules in neighboring cities, Gant said.
Staff is currently researching short-term rental regulations in other cities and plans to bring forward a presentation at a future city council meeting, Gant said.
Prairie Village: Coming up for discussion
Short-term rentals in Prairie Village are required to have a rental license, which can be revoked if there are nuisance or repeated code violations.
City Administrator Wes Jordan told the city council on March 4 that a discussion on short-term rental regulations is on city staff’s list of items to bring to the governing body soon.
Jordan said northeast Johnson County cities recently met to discuss logistics of the metro hosting the World Cup, and short-term rentals were a part of that discussion.
Prairie Village has monitored what other cities have done with short-term rental regulations but has yet to see any model that works for the city, Jordan said.
Still, city staff plans to bring a short-term rental regulation item before the city council soon, he said.
“Here’s the good news, and why we’re not pressing the accelerator: We’re not getting complaints from the community on short-term rentals at this point,” Jordan said, adding that residents should reach out to the city if they are having issues with short-term rentals.
Roeland Park: Some restrictions are in place
Short-term rental owners in Roeland Park are required to obtain a license and must notify all property owners within 100 feet as part of the licensing process.
Neighbors can file an objection to the issuance of a license, as well.
City Administrator Keith Moody told the Post via email that the city council recently discussed its short-term rental policy per the request of an individual who wants to own a short-term rental but live somewhere else.
There has been no direction on changing the policy at this time, though further discussion is expected in March, Moody said.
Westwood: Rules in place with no plans to revisit
The city of Westwood requires short-term rental property owners to obtain a business license and provide neighbors a courtesy notice about the use of the property.
Westwood also has a limit of six total guests per short-term rental. The city’s rules and regulations for noise limits, on-street parking and trash pickup must also be posted somewhere on the property.
City Administrator Leslie Herring told the Post via email on Monday that the city passed these regulations two years ago, and that was the most recent short-term rentals conversation in Westwood.
Herring said there are no plans to revisit short-term rentals at this time.
Keep reading: Attention on short-term rental rules after deadly Overland Park shooting — Here are JoCo cities’ current regulations
