GREEN BAY (NBC26) — The Green Bay Plan Commission has drafted a new ordinance on short-term rentals, which the common council will vote on next week.
- The proposed changes to short-term rental regulations include requirements on house rules, permit applications and enforcement.
- The common council will vote on the changes at their meeting on Tuesday, March 3.
- The changes come after months of discussion surrounding short-term rental regulations in Green Bay.
The Green Bay Plan Commission discussed changes to short-term rental codes at their meeting on Monday, Feb. 23.
“Establish some more clear guidelines for how to operate a short-term rental in the area," Mark Danen, owner of Restiva Properties, a short-term rental business based in Green Bay.
Danen is also a member of the STR Green Bay Alliance.
The changes would require short-term rental owners to post clear house rules for tenants. The rules must include city parking and noise requirements, as well as a local point of contact.
“We want to be a good neighbor, we want to be a good part of the community," Danen says.
The changes would also require applications for new short-term rental permits to include the number of bedrooms and available parking spaces.
As well as guidelines for suspending short-term rental permits if an owner is found to be non-compliant with the new rules.
“There are a lot of good things about nuisance control," council member Joey Prestley, the alderperson for District 6, says.
Prestley is also the alderperson for the Green Bay Equal Rights Commission.
“We’ve talked about housing a lot," Prestley says. "Housing is a situation where there is not equal access.”
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Prestley says short-term rentals can contribute to a lack of housing in Green Bay.
“There are opportunities for a family to buy a house, but instead it’s bought by an investor looking to make money off of it," he says. "I think people have grabbed onto this issue because it is hard to have that juxtaposition of we need more housing and people are buying our housing and not using it for housing."
After conversations last fall, the common council instructed city staff to create new regulations for short-term rentals without restricting the length of stay for tenants.
Prestley says while these new regulations address nuisance complaints, they won’t help housing shortages.
“What’s missing is any way to staunch the growth of short-term rentals in our community," he says.
Those who operate short-term rentals, like Danen, say short-term rentals aren't the issue. He says short-term rentals are important for local tourism.
“Short term rentals, even though they’ve been around for a while are sort of misunderstood," Danen says. "We do need real solutions, but banning short-term rentals or making them incredibly restrictive, isn’t one of those solutions. It’s not going to help affordable housing.”
The common council will vote on the new changes on Tuesday, March 3.
