City Considers Short-Term Rental Hosting Platform Ordinance

BOZEMAN — On June 27, the Bozeman City Commission will discuss an ordinance aimed at improving short-term rental compliance by applying several requirements to hosting platforms, such as Airbnb and VRBO. If adopted, this would require platforms to include the city permit number for each listing within the City and, if no city permit number is supplied, the hosting platform must remove the listing within five days.  Platforms would also need to share information on listings with the city, including addresses.

Having an up-to-date list of existing short-term rental listings would allow city staff to more easily bring short-term rentals into compliance with city regulations. This would ensure all owners and operators of short-term rentals are treated fairly, and that all rentals are operating safely. In addition, the ordinance would provide staff with a more accurate picture of the number of short-term rentals operating in the city.

“This ordinance is backed by research we have done into other similar communities. Many of them have seen success after improving compliance in this way,” City Planner Nakeisha Lyon stated.
 
During the Aug. 9, 2022 Commission work session on short-term rentals, Commission directed staff to explore improving short-term rental compliance through this type of ordinance.
 
The last time the Bozeman City Commission passed an ordinance on short-term rentals was in 2017. Ordinance 1974 established a number of regulations, including the need to register, have a fire inspection, and requiring owner occupancy of the short term rental in certain zoning districts.
 
City staff are also in the process of a more in-depth analysis of how the City regulates short-term rentals, which the City Commission will discuss at a future meeting.
 
More information on short-term rentals and the regulations around them can be found at https://www.bozeman.net/departments/community-development/planning/short-term-rentals.