ST. LOUIS 鈥 A St. Louis planning board on Wednesday stalled another attempt to regulate short-term home rentals often found on popular websites like Airbnb and Vrbo but could kick-start the process again next month.
The St. Louis Planning Commission agreed to have city staff clarify some of the proposed zoning changes before potentially recommending them to the Board of Aldermen.
The changes would require operators of short-term rentals to obtain a permit that would be renewed every year and a business license for those operating rentals but who don鈥檛 live in them. They would also require operators to designate a contact person who would be responsive and 鈥渁vailable at all times,鈥 according to .
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鈥淲e need to be clear with definitions when we鈥檙e passing them,鈥 Alderman Shane Cohn, who sits on the commission, said. 鈥淭hey shouldn鈥檛 be left for interpretation.鈥
The city of St. Louis is one of the few municipalities in the region without any regulations for short-term rentals. Some have drawn the ire of city officials in recent years. A teenage boy was killed last year while letting people into a party that was hosted at a rental in downtown St. Louis. Another party the year before, also in downtown, spilled out onto Washington Avenue where partiers were filmed dancing atop a police car.
Airbnb has worked with city officials on curtailing parties to reduce incidences and complaints, but the company has also said that its name has been used as a catch-all term for short-term rental operators and has been wrongly linked to issues involving other platforms.
鈥淭he majority of hosts in St. Louis are responsible neighbors who rely on the income from sharing their home to help with rising costs of living and support the local economy,鈥 a company spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. 鈥淲e look forward to working with the city, our host community, and local leaders to craft fair short-term rental rules that protect the economic benefits of home sharing and help address community concerns.鈥
Vrbo did not respond to a request for comment.
Thousands of houses, private rooms and other accommodations have been listed on online platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Many are clustered around employment centers in the central corridor as well as in entertainment districts and historic neighborhoods. The downtown area, for example, has over 1,100 listings. The Central West End has 803. Soulard has over 400, according to data research firm AirDNA, which tracks the short-term rental industry.
City officials are seeking to have the zoning changes lay the groundwork for legislation to regulate the short-term rentals and gauge their impact on the city.
The new zoning rules would still need to be codified by the Board of Aldermen. The staff report did not detail which alderman would sponsor the legislation.
In the report from the planning agency, staff highlighted how St. Louis regularly hosts conventions, sporting events and other activities that benefit from various lodging options, adding that the rentals offer an additional stream of income for residents. But staff also highlighted how short-term rentals can erode the housing stock.
Previous attempts to regulate rentals were spearheaded by aldermen.
Former Alderman Christine Ingrassia has twice sponsored legislation, in 2018 and 2020, aimed at regulating the industry. In 2020, her effort called for the building commissioner鈥檚 office to create the regulations along with recommendations from a special task force.
Neither bill made it past first reading.
Ingrassia now serves as director of operations for the office of Board President Megan Green.