Prairie Village is considering imposing a 30-day minimum stay rule on short-term rental properties, a rule that, if adopted, would effectively bar AirBnbs and Vrbos in the city.
On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council became the latest Johnson County municipal government to take up the short-term rental issue and discuss imposing new restrictions on the properties.
The city council first expressed interest in discussing short-term rentals in 2023.
Some cities like Fairway and Shawnee recently tightened short-term rental regulations, implementing buffer zones between such properties or limiting how many people can be in one property at a time. Merriam is also anticipated to join Fairway and Shawnee with stricter short-term rental regulations.
Meanwhile, Overland Park appears content to leave short-term rentals alone for now, though city officials have expressed interest in revisiting the topic, especially closer to the 2026 World Cup when an influx of visitors to the Kansas City metro is expected.
The 30-day minimum stay rule being considered by Prairie Village would go further and mirror rules already in place in some neighboring cities.
The current state of short-term rentals in Prairie Village
- Deputy City Administrator Nickie Lee told the council committee of the whole on Monday that, currently, Prairie Village treats short-term rentals no differently than long-term rentals.
- This means short-term rentals are required to obtain a $77 rental license, which needs to be renewed annually, and they are subject to inspections and must identify a local agent or property manager who resides in Johnson County.
- Of the more than 800 rental properties in Prairie Village, Lee said city staff roughly estimates about 30 are short-term rentals.
- “We’re not aware of any major issues with short term rentals as far as being party homes, traffic issues, that might be a reporting issue, maybe we’re just not aware,” Lee said. “We’re also looking ahead to, of course, the big event coming up in 2026 … The World Cup, and we anticipate there may be more short-term rentals for the World Cup.”
- One resident who spoke during public comments on Monday said a short-term rental in her neighborhood is being used as a party house with occupants who throw furniture and leave trash in the yard.
What a 30-day minimum stay rule would mean
- Generally, the council committee of the whole expressed interest in stricter regulations on short-term rentals.
- Other options discussed at the meeting included an outright ban of short-term rentals and limiting how often a property owner can list a short-term rental for use, such as 30 days per calendar year.
- Cities like Mission Hills and Leawood currently impose a 30-day minimum rental stay, according to city documents.
- The city council agreed to direct city staff to explore a 30-day minimum stay for short-term rentals to increase stability for residents who live near such properties. Councilmembers Cole Robinson and Greg Shelton were absent during Monday’s discussion.
- City Attorney Alex Aggen told the city council that a 30-day stay is, under state law, not considered a short-term rental, and to impose such a limit would essentially bar short-term rentals in Prairie Village.
- Following additional discussion and a motion to completely ban short-term rentals by Councilmember Inga Selders, Councilmember Nick Reddell restated his support for keeping short-term rentals around to an extent and potentially limiting how many days a year a short-term rental can be used as such.
Watch the entire conversation online here, starting at 2:22.
Next steps:
- City staff will work to draft regulations to bring back for city council discussion.
- Lee noted that the council discussion on May 6 was intended to be one of several conversations regarding short-term rentals.
Keep reading: One northeast JoCo city tightens short-term rental rules. Where do others stand?
