Columbia City Council finalizes short-term rental regulations
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council voted 5-1 on Monday to make changes to the city's code regarding short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO.
Changes to the code have been in discussion for years, dating back to 2018, with the most recent occurring in December when public feedback was gathered. The lone "nay" vote was from Ward 5 Councilman Donald Waterman, while Ward 6 Councilwoman Betsy Peters recused herself from the vote.
The discussion drew in a large crowd, with several community members voicing their concerns over the ordinance, leading to the public comment portion lasting two hours alone.
Several residents noted being in disagreement with the ordinance and asked that the council not pass it. Some concerns included there being a limit on the amount of properties an owner is allowed, as well as the maximum number of occupants allowed in each property set to eight.
Others said they believed the council should approve the ordinance to allow the city to move forward.
Proposed regulations included creating a three-tier system. This would allow certain properties to be rented for 30 days per year (Tier 1), no more than 120 days per year (Tier 2) and year-round rental (Tier 3.)
Mayor Barbara Buffaloe expressed concerns about houses being vacant for an extended amount of time, due to the conditions of the tiers. Buffaloe proposed the city increase the amount of days properties can be rented under "2b" of the amendment from 120 days to 210 days.
That proposal was passed by council members 4-2.
Waterman suggested the city increase the amount of properties an owner can have from one to three. However, that motion was not passed.
An amendment also requires short-term rental owners to have a business license, limits owners to one property and sets the maximum number of occupants per property at eight.
The code also doesn't allow owners to take more than one reservation at a time.
The regulations have received backlash, with some residents in the past stating the regulations are too restrictive. Others claimed the wording of the tier system was not clear enough. ABC 17 News spoke with Airbnb owner Matthew Spence in July, who said he didn't agree with the city regulating something some people had been doing for years.
Other residents proposed that existing short-term rentals be grandfathered in and said regulations could lead to a financial loss for Columbia, citing the expensive costs of hotels.
