Executive Summary
Birmingham, Michigan paused new short-term rental licenses for 180 days after a shootout at an Airbnb on East Lincoln Street left two homes hit and 35 shell casings on the ground. Kansas City has set a hard May 5 deadline for hosts who want to operate during the 2026 World Cup, with a $50 event-only permit or a $200 renewable annual one. Los Angeles is weighing a much bigger swing: Mayor Karen Bass's draft budget would let hosts run second homes and investment properties through 2028, undoing the city's 2018 primary-residence-only rule, in exchange for Airbnb prepaying the city's transient occupancy taxes. Arapahoe County, Colorado is voting on rules that would limit STRs to primary residences, force 500 feet between licensed rentals, and require a 60-minute complaint response. Carson City and McFarland, Wisconsin are still in the proposal phase: Carson eyeing a 30-minute phone-response rule, McFarland floating a six-month operating cap and a seven-day minimum stay.
New Regulations
Kansas City, Missouri
Published: April 21, 2026
Regulation Category: Licensing (event permitting)
Summary: Kansas City's STR Office set a May 5, 2026 deadline for Major Event applications ($50, valid May 3–July 31, 2026, non-renewable) covering hosts who plan to operate during the 2026 World Cup. Operators who want year-round permission can apply for an Annual registration instead ($200, renewable), and existing applicants can check status in CompassKC ("Awaiting Customer" = missing info; "Extended" = ready for inspection).
Source: Short-Term Rental Major Event Applications
Birmingham, Michigan
Published: April 27, 2026
Regulation Category: Licensing (moratorium)
Summary: Birmingham's City Commission voted in a 180-day moratorium on new short-term rental licenses following an April 11 shootout at an Airbnb on East Lincoln Street that involved at least four shooters, 35 recovered shell casings, and damage to two homes. The pause gives the planning commission time to draft tighter STR rules; the city manager urged against an outright ban, citing pending lawsuits against other Michigan municipalities that took that route.
Source: Birmingham expected to hit pause on new short-term rentals
Developing Regulations
Los Angeles, California
Published: April 24, 2026
Regulation Category: Licensing + Tax
Summary: Mayor Karen Bass's draft budget includes two Airbnb-backed measures: temporarily allowing hosts to rent second homes and investment properties through December 31, 2028 (reversing the city's 2018 primary-residence-only rule), and having Airbnb prepay transient occupancy taxes to the city. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez has raised concerns about the prepayment plan and questioned the corporate motives behind it.
Source: Airbnb claims proposal included in mayor's budget will bring tax revenue to LA ahead of Olympics
McFarland, Wisconsin
Published: April 24, 2026
Regulation Category: Occupancy + Length-of-Stay
Summary: McFarland's Public Safety Committee is weighing rules that would cap STR operation at six months per year, impose a seven-day minimum stay, and tighten enforcement for violations. Residents tie STR growth to higher property taxes and a $535,000 median home price, while operators point to $52,000 in room tax revenue from 2018–2025 and average stays of 3.2 days that feed local restaurants and shops.
Source: McFarland wrestles with short-term rental homes
Arapahoe County, Colorado
Published: April 25, 2026
Regulation Category: Licensing + Zoning
Summary: A proposed ordinance would limit STR licenses to owners or renters using the property as their primary residence (with proof required), require 500 feet of separation between licensed STRs, and mandate a 60-minute response time to complaints. Operators active within the past six months can claim a legacy exemption if they apply within 60 days; the Colorado Short-Term Rental Association (COSTRA) opposes the rules as overly restrictive.
Source: Colorado county considers new regulations on short-term rentals
Carson City, Nevada
Published: April 26, 2026
Regulation Category: General (zoning, occupancy, operations)
Summary: The Planning Commission is reviewing a proposal to allow STRs in all zoning districts except industrial and public, with one STR per property, two-people-per-bedroom occupancy limits, annual code-compliance inspections, and bear-proof trash bins. Operators would need to respond to city notifications within 30 minutes by phone and arrive on-site within 60 minutes, and amplified outdoor sound would be banned from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Source: Short-term rental rules return to Carson City Planning Commission