Executive Summary
Irving, Texas put its new short-term rental rules into effect July 31 after a unanimous City Council vote, requiring new operators to get a Conditional Use Permit, holding them to a two-night minimum and four parking spaces, capping rentals at 10% per block face, and adding the hotel occupancy tax, while about 220 existing operators are grandfathered in. In Georgia, a Chatham County judge upheld Tybee Island's rules on August 6, dismissing a 2023 owner lawsuit and letting the island keep banning short-term rentals across roughly 85% of it, as the mayor weighs splitting the island into four sectors. Clark County, Nevada is set to hear an ordinance August 18 that would fine Airbnb and Vrbo $500 for a first unlicensed listing and $1,000 for each one after, its latest move against 16,000-plus listings that hold just 228 licenses. Easthampton, Massachusetts is enforcing its first ordinance — registration, safety inspections, a five-guest cap, and a 50-rental citywide limit — but only about 13 of some 40 eligible rentals have signed up. Columbia, Missouri opened a 24/7 tip line for rental complaints and pushed broader ordinance changes to 2027, while Ellsworth, Maine floated a registration program with a suggested $300 annual fee that drew a crowd of mostly opposed owners.
New Regulations
Irving, Texas
Licensing / Zoning · Published August 14, 2026
Irving's new short-term rental rules took effect July 31 after a unanimous July 30 City Council vote, requiring new operators to obtain a Conditional Use Permit plus an STR application and imposing a two-night minimum stay, four on-site parking spaces (plus one per bedroom), a 10% cap on rentals per block face, whole-home-only rentals, and adult supervision of minors. About 220 existing operators may keep running without a permit if they stay registered and compliant, all STRs must now pay the hotel occupancy tax, and a September program will tie annual safety inspections to registration renewal.
→ Source: Irving's new short-term rental requirements are in effect. What does that mean for residents?
Tybee Island, Georgia
Legal / Court Ruling · Published August 12, 2026
A Chatham County judge upheld Tybee Island's short-term rental regulations on August 6, dismissing a 2023 lawsuit by the property-owner group Tybee Alliance and ruling that rentals lack the "continuous physical presence" of residential housing. The ordinance bans short-term rentals across roughly 85% of the island, and Mayor Brian West is weighing a plan to divide the island into four sectors that would allow more rentals near restaurants, beaches, and attractions while limiting them in quiet residential zones, possibly taking effect next year.
→ Source: Tybee Island short-term rental rules upheld by judge
Columbia, Missouri
Enforcement / Complaints · Published August 12, 2026
Columbia launched a 24/7 tip line for residents to report concerns about Airbnb and Vrbo rentals, adding to a complaint-based enforcement push under which the city has opened 188 illegal short-term rental cases and referred 19 for prosecution. At a Monday work session the City Council pushed broader short-term rental ordinance changes to 2027, meaning residents will have fewer near-term chances to weigh in on proposed rentals.
→ Source: Columbia offers new tip line for short-term rental complaints
Easthampton, Massachusetts
Registration / Enforcement · Published August 10, 2026
Easthampton is working through early enforcement of its first short-term rental ordinance, passed in March, which requires Airbnb and Vrbo hosts to register, pass annual safety inspections, install fire-safety systems, and cap occupancy at five guests, all under a citywide limit of 50 rentals. After a July 1 registration deadline and cease-and-desist notices posted on dozens of properties, only about 13 of roughly 40 qualifying rentals had registered, and operators have pushed back on both the rollout and the occupancy cap.
→ Source: Easthampton navigates 'growing pains' over new short-term rental regulations
Developing Regulations
Clark County, Nevada
Licensing / Platform Enforcement · Published August 12, 2026
Clark County is advancing an ordinance, set for an August 18 commission hearing, that would fine Airbnb and Vrbo $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for each additional unlicensed listing they facilitate, shifting liability onto the platforms after a December federal moratorium blocked the county from fining owners directly. The Las Vegas area has more than 16,000 Airbnb listings against only 228 county licenses, and the county is separately appealing the December ruling by Judge Miranda Du.
→ Source: A court pushed back against Clark County Airbnb limits. County might have a new way to crack down
Ellsworth, Maine
Registration / Inspection · Published August 12, 2026
Ellsworth is weighing a short-term rental registration and safety-inspection program that would require operating permits and inspections at a suggested $300 annual fee per property, a proposal that drew about 50 residents — mostly rental owners opposed to new fees — to an August 10 listening session. The city, which has grown from a few hundred rentals a decade ago to an estimated 500 to 1,000 today, is collecting feedback through a September 1 survey before a staff report to the City Council this fall.
→ Source: Residents provide feedback on proposed short-term rental registration
