Reynoldsburg City Council has unanimously passed new legislation targeting short-term rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo, after officials said the eastern suburb has seen an uptick in associated complaints and crime – including gunshots fired at a March party.
City Council passed the new regulations at its meeting July 13, which include requiring operators to obtain an annual permit from the city and that guests must book a minimum of three nights.
The state doesn’t have any laws regulating short-term rentals, which the city is defining as any dwelling with five or fewer guestrooms that is reserved or rented wholly or partly for less than 30 consecutive days. Reynoldsburg has about nine or 10 short-term rentals within the city available on different booking platforms, city officials said previously.
Reynoldsburg’s new rules include requiring operators to register with the city and obtain an annual permit from the city that has to be renewed each December for the next year for $225. The property has to be owned by the short-term rental operator, or it has to be the operator’s primary residence, according to the legislation.
Operators are prohibited from offering one- or two-night stays, and guests must book for at least three nights, the legislation shows.
The legislation limits the number of occupants, which cannot exceed two people per bedroom. That means if the short-term rental is a three-bedroom home, it can have a maximum of six guests. The legislation also limits the number of cars allowed at short-term rentals to those that can fit inside any on-site garages, plus two in the driveway and two parked on the street.
The legislation also outlines that the city can revoke or suspend a short-term rental permit if:
For a first violation of the new law, an operator’s permit will be terminated and they’ll be prohibited from re-registering for six months. If there is a second violation, it’s a one-year prohibition, and a third violation will result in a permanent ban, the legislation states.
If operators violate any of the rules, they’ll be charged with an unclassified misdemeanor and fined up to $250. For subsequent convictions within two years, the penalty will be another unclassified misdemeanor and a fine up to $1,000.
City Attorney Chris Shook told council members July 13 that the new regulations will go into effect in January to give the city plenty of time to work with short-term rental operators.
City officials first discussed rules for short-term rentals in April when Assistant City Attorney Cassidy Triplett said most of the police calls involving short-term rentals in Reynoldsburg have stemmed from large house parties. In March, police responded to a home on Tatra Court after reports of multiple gunshots during a house party at a property known to be a short-term rental.
Without any state laws, it’s up to individual municipalities if they want to regulate short-term rentals. Other central Ohio communities – including Columbus, Dublin, Hilliard and Gahanna – have enacted their own laws in recent years regulating short-term rentals, such as an annual registration fee and permit, occupancy restrictions and time restraints, Reynoldsburg officials told council members in April.
Westerville, Worthington and Upper Arlington are among Ohio communities that have opted to ban short-term rentals completely.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Reynoldsburg adopts short-term rental law after party, gunfire concerns
Reporting by Maria DeVito, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Maria DeVito, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
