Executive Summary
Clark County, Nevada unanimously passed an ordinance that blocks Airbnb and Vrbo from collecting payment for stays at unlicensed rentals in unincorporated areas, putting enforcement on the platforms after a court kept the county from fining owners directly. Arizona went the other way: the state Supreme Court declined to hear Sedona's appeal, so mobile homes there still count as short-term rentals under state law, and the city owes the Goldwater Institute's legal fees. Columbia Township, Michigan passed a full ordinance requiring $200 first-year permits, a $1 million insurance policy, and a 24/7 local agent, with fines and permit loss for violators. Chelan County, Washington raised renewal fees about 20%, pushing Tier 1 and Tier 2 permits to $728 and Tier 3 to $1,092. A long list of places are still deciding: Buena Vista and Pitkin County in Colorado are moving on new license caps, Arizona cities plan a ballot fight to win back local control, and St. Pete Beach, Greenville County, West Columbia, DeWitt, Paradise Township, and Philipstown are all weighing new registration, permitting, or bans.
New Regulations
Clark County, Nevada
Licensing / Platform Enforcement · Published August 18, 2026
The Clark County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance that stops platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo from collecting payment for stays at unlicensed short-term rentals in unincorporated areas, putting enforcement on the booking sites instead of individual owners. The move follows a December federal ruling that blocked the county from fining owners directly, and it drew 26 speakers split between residents worried about housing and quality of life and hosts who say it will squeeze income for families and small operators.
→ Source: Clark County Commissioners unanimously pass new ordinance on short-term rentals
Sedona, Arizona
Legal / State Preemption · Published August 23, 2026
The Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear Sedona's appeal in Oak Creek Hospitality v. City of Sedona, letting stand a November 2025 appeals ruling that individual mobile homes qualify as short-term rentals under state law (A.R.S. 9-500.39). The decision clears the way for rentals at the 59-space Oak Creek Mobilodge, orders the city to pay the Goldwater Institute's legal fees, and reinforces Arizona's limits on how far cities can go in banning STR use of qualifying homes, including mobile and manufactured ones.
→ Source: Arizona Supreme Court Declines Sedona Mobilodge STR Appeal
Columbia Township, Michigan
Licensing / Enforcement · Published August 18, 2026
Columbia Township, near Jackson, unanimously passed a short-term rental ordinance on August 17 that requires permits costing $200 the first year and $90 a year after, with fines and possible permit revocation for violations once it takes effect 30 days after publication. The board dropped a flat 10-person occupancy cap after a Varnum law firm letter called it arbitrary, tying occupancy to the Michigan residential code instead, while keeping rules for one off-street parking space per bedroom, a $1 million liability policy, weekly trash service, and a local agent reachable 24/7 within 60 minutes.
→ Source: Short-term rentals near Jackson could face $1K fines, permit revocations under new law
Chelan County, Washington
Fees / Licensing · Published August 19, 2026
Short-term rental owners in Chelan County face roughly a 20% jump in renewal fees for the 2026 renewal window, which runs September 1 through October 31, with late fees for filings after that. Tier 1 and Tier 2 renewal permits now cost $728, up from $600, and Tier 3 permits rise from $900 to $1,092, part of a fee schedule adopted last year that raises rates each year through 2028 after fees sat flat for 14 years.
→ Source: Short-term rental renewal fees rise in Chelan County
Developing Regulations
Buena Vista, Colorado
Licensing / Caps · Published August 23, 2026
Buena Vista trustees are wrapping up Ordinance 14, a rewrite of the town's short-term rental policy that headed to a final vote alongside the proposed 2027 budget. The ordinance is expected to set clearer licensing and operating rules and add caps on non-primary and out-of-county licenses, closing a long policy process going into 2027.
→ Source: Buena Vista Trustees to Vote on Finalized Short-Term Rental Policy, Hear 2027 Budget
Pitkin County, Colorado
Licensing / Caps · Published August 20, 2026
Pitkin County is weighing major changes to its short-term rental rules that would make more properties eligible for a license while adding new caps tailored to different parts of the county. The plan follows an impact study presented to commissioners on August 18 and would change how licenses are handed out geographically, add a license type for certain qualified occupants, and keep tighter limits in rural and remote areas.
→ Source: Major changes proposed for PitCo's STR regulations
Arizona (statewide)
Legislative / State Preemption · Published August 21, 2026
Arizona cities plan to push a short-term rental ballot referral in the next legislative session, escalating a long fight over who controls STR rules in a state that has largely tied local hands. Municipalities are also seeking higher STR license fees and updated definitions covering mobile home parks and multifamily housing.
→ Source: Arizona Cities to Push a Short-Term Rental Ballot Referral Next Session
St. Pete Beach, Florida
Registration · Published August 19, 2026
St. Pete Beach commissioners discussed a proposed short-term rental registration program at their August 19 meeting but took no vote and added no new rules. Several commissioners doubted a registry would improve enforcement, since most complaints involve rentals operating in zones where they are not allowed or owners renting more often than permitted, and officials leaned toward stronger enforcement and low-cost technology instead.
→ Source: St. Pete Beach commissioners consider short-term rental registration program
Greenville County, South Carolina
Registration · Published August 19, 2026
Greenville County is moving closer to adopting its first short-term rental ordinance, which would set local rules for operators and require each rental to register. A registration provision has drawn scrutiny during the county's deliberations, and hosts would face a new registration obligation and related rules once the ordinance is finalized.
→ Source: Greenville County edges closer to short-term rental ordinance
West Columbia, South Carolina
Permitting · Published August 21, 2026
West Columbia is considering a new permitting system and operating rules for short-term rentals listed on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. The city is deliberating how to license STR properties and what conditions to place on them, part of a trend of smaller cities formalizing oversight of rentals that once operated without local rules.
→ Source: West Columbia Weighs New Permit and Rules for Short-Term Rentals Like Airbnb and Vrbo
DeWitt, New York
Zoning / Ban · Published August 19, 2026
The town of DeWitt, in Onondaga County, is moving to ban short-term rentals after residents complained about near-weekly late-night parties at two properties, including a five-bedroom Peck Hill Road home marketed for corporate retreats. Because current zoning does not clearly prohibit STRs, the town attorney is drafting a law modeled on nearby Camillus that would allow only rentals of 30 days or longer, with a public hearing expected in late September.
→ Source: Another Onondaga County town is cracking down on short-term rentals after resident complaints
Paradise Township, Pennsylvania
Zoning / Permitting · Published August 21, 2026
Paradise Township supervisors are drafting a short-term rental ordinance covering the roughly 40 Airbnb-style rentals operating locally, without touching traditional bed-and-breakfasts, and may vote to advertise it in September. STRs would be allowed by right in agricultural, rural residential, open space, railroad heritage, and village or mixed-use zones but would need a special exception in residential and rural residential zones, with operators facing yearly permits, inspections, a 25-foot setback for outdoor amenities, and a local contact who must respond within 30 minutes.
→ Source: Paradise Township Supervisors Draft Short-Term Rental Ordinance
Philipstown, New York
General / Licensing · Published August 22, 2026
Philipstown moved on August 19 to regulate short-term rentals such as Airbnbs and has set a public hearing on a proposed STR law. The measure would introduce the town's first local rules governing short-term rentals.
→ Source: Philipstown Sets Hearing on STR Law
