ST CHARLES, Mo. — St. Charles is a step closer to placing limitations on short-term home rentals. That includes limiting the number of properties people can rent through services like Airbnb and VRBO. The city is also looking to zero in on homeowners who are sidestepping city policy.
St. Charles knows its strengths.
"We have a vibrant Main Street. We rely on tourism. Tourism is a large part of our economy,” Community Development Director Zach Tusinger said. "It's also a great place to live. There's a lot of people who live in St. Charles and are moving to St. Charles. These regulations are about finding a balance."
Specifically when it comes to short-term rentals, like Airbnb and VRBO. Right now, some 100 homeowners are renting out their spaces illegally.
“It's ultimately going to be a code enforcement issue,” Tusinger said.
He said the city plans to reach out to them and work with them to get into compliance. In the meantime, the city council just voted to consider limiting the number of homes that can be rented for short-term stays to .5%.
That's roughly 150 units.
"We don't get a lot of complaints about parties or noise or things like that. For some of the residents and perhaps some of the council members, the concern is just how many are we going to allow in St. Charles?" Tusinger added.
Part of that proposal includes creating a 500-foot buffer between units in residential areas.
"So you don't end up with three or four on one block,” he explained.
That would not apply to rental properties in commercial areas.
All of these homeowners must apply for a business license and a possible conditional use permit that comes with a proposed $150 fee. St. Charles homeowners must pay $75 a year to rent out their home. That could go up to $100.
Right now, all of this is under discussion. St. Charles leaders say they're looking at what's working well in other areas in order to find the best fit. A final vote on all of this is expected next month.