Executive Summary
In Europe, a sweeping new STR rule takes effect in May and will require registration numbers plus monthly platform data sharing across all 27 member states. Arlington Heights, Illinois, moved the farthest this week, approving a short-term rental ban that starts July 1 and limits stays to 30 days or more. Washington, DC, is moving the other direction, with Mayor Bowser backing a bill that would let many renters host, create a special event license, and allow a second licensed property with a 90-night cap if it is not owner occupied. Sacramento is still debating a primary-residence rule that could wipe out more than 300 units, while Lafayette just got a court win that keeps its residential-neighborhood ban in place. Other cities, including Columbia, Santa Barbara, Pacifica, and Richardson, are still in the proposal or review stage.
New Regulations
European Union
Published: March 11, 2026
Regulation Category: registration / data-sharing
Summary: The EU short-term rental regulation takes effect in May 2026 and creates a standardized registration system across all 27 member states. Platforms will have to display registration numbers and send monthly activity data to authorities through national interfaces.
Source: The EU's Transformative Short-term Rental Regulation
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Published: March 9, 2026
Regulation Category: zoning / ban
Summary: Arlington Heights approved a ban on short-term rentals, with only stays of 30 days or longer allowed once the ordinance takes effect on July 1, 2026. Village officials said the move is meant to reduce neighborhood disruption and protect housing stock, though they may revisit it if the Chicago Bears build a stadium there.
Source: Arlington Heights bans Airbnb rentals, officials to re-evaluate rules if Bears build stadium
Lafayette, Louisiana
Published: March 16, 2026
Regulation Category: zoning / litigation
Summary: A federal judge dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit challenging Lafayette’s ban on short-term rentals in single-family residential neighborhoods. The ruling leaves the 2023 ordinance in place and cuts off this challenge from the property owners who sued in June 2025.
Source: Challenge of Lafayette's short-term rental law dismissed
Developing Regulations
Arizona
Published: Date not listed
Regulation Category: occupancy / local control
Summary: The Arizona House approved a bill that would give cities and towns more authority to limit occupancy in short-term rentals while still blocking them from capping the number or location of STRs. The measure is a partial shift from the state’s long-standing limits on local regulation, but it does not let cities broadly shrink the STR market.
Source: Bill with some short-term rental restrictions clears Arizona House
Washington D.C.
Published: March 13, 2026
Regulation Category: licensing
Summary: Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced the Short-Term Rental Regulation Amendment Act of 2026, which would let many renters host at their primary residence and create a new special event license. The bill would also merge current license categories and allow District residents to get a license for a second DC property, capped at 90 unoccupied rental nights per year.
Source: Mayor Bowser Announces New Short-Term Rental Legislation to Create More Economic Opportunities for District Residents
Sacramento, California
Published: March 12, 2026
Regulation Category: primary residence / zoning
Summary: Sacramento’s planning commission is weighing rules that could remove more than 300 short-term rental units from the market by requiring rentals to be at an owner’s primary residence and limiting multiple units on one property. Commissioners discussed loosening parts of the proposal, including allowing up to four units on a property and no owner-occupancy requirement for new construction.
Source: Sacramento weighs new short-term rental rules as debate grows over housing vs. tourism
Columbia, Missouri
Published: March 16, 2026
Regulation Category: zoning / licensing
Summary: Columbia’s city council reviewed amendments to short-term rental rules that would remove principal-residence language, eliminate Tier 1 STR classifications, and add an authorized tenant definition. The proposal also changes use tables, use-specific standards, and conditional-use permit rules after staff received public comments from operators, neighbors, and prospective hosts.
Source: Columbia council will review short-term rental regulation changes
Santa Barbara, California
Published: March 10, 2026
Regulation Category: permitting / zoning
Summary: Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission voted 4-2 to move its short-term rental ordinance forward to the Ordinance Committee with a long list of suggested changes. The program is still being shaped, and the split vote shows continued concern over how the city should balance STR activity with neighborhood impacts.
Source: Santa Barbara's Short-Term Rental Program Inches Forward Despite Concerns
Maryland
Published: March 11, 2026
Regulation Category: fire safety
Summary: Maryland’s HB 1221 would set baseline fire safety rules for short-term rentals, including clear egress information, working smoke alarms, and available fire extinguishers. The bill was presented as a practical statewide safety measure and was backed by the Maryland Association of Counties with amendments.
Source: Advancing Life-Saving Fire Safety Standards for Short-Term Rentals
Pacifica, California
Published: March 16, 2026
Regulation Category: zoning / coastal review
Summary: The California Coastal Commission delayed a decision on Pacifica’s short-term rental rules for another year, extending uncertainty for operators in the city. The dispute appears tied to the commission’s review of local STR limits and how they intersect with coastal policy and local regulation.
Source: Coastal Commission delays Pacifica short-term rental decision for another year
Richardson, Texas
Published: March 11, 2026
Regulation Category: permitting / enforcement
Summary: Richardson is considering seven ordinance amendments, including clearer owner definitions, visible registration certificates, and broader permit revocation grounds. The city has 92 registered single-family STRs and 43 pending applications as officials respond to complaints about noise, trash, and traffic.
Source: Richardson cautiously considers stricter short-term rental regulations