Executive Summary
Duluth, Minnesota will no longer issue new short-term rental licenses for entire single-family homes, though residents can still rent out rooms in homes they live in. On Nantucket, the Select Board unanimously refused to lift an STR ban on 36 lots in an affordable housing development, siding with a decade-old deal over an investor who called the ban unfair. Highlands East, Ontario cleaned up its licensing bylaw and spelled out fines of up to $50,000 for a first offence and $100,000 after that. On the developing side, Clark County, Nevada asked a federal appeals court to lift an injunction that has blocked its STR fines since December. Montgomery County, Maryland introduced a bill that would make platforms verify a host's license before listing, after an audit found more than 85% of local rentals were unlicensed. Skokie, Illinois is set to cut fees for owner-occupied hosts after only 10 of about 129 rentals signed up for a pilot that cost at least $3,650 to join.
New Regulations
Duluth, Minnesota
Licensing / Zoning · Published September 15, 2026
Duluth's City Council passed new short-term rental rules as its temporary moratorium on new licenses ends, and the city will no longer issue new STR licenses for entire single-family homes. Residents can still rent out individual rooms in owner-occupied homes, and council members acknowledged the policy has holes they plan to fix over time.
→ Source: No Short-Term Rental Licenses for Single-Family Homes, Duluth Council Decides
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Zoning / Deed Restrictions · Published September 16, 2026
The Nantucket Select Board voted unanimously to oppose lifting a short-term rental ban on 36 lots in the Sandpiper subdivision of the Richmond Great Point affordable housing development, rejecting investor Nantucket Property Owners' argument that the ban is inequitable. Board members said the ban was a negotiated condition of a decade-old agreement that granted density bonuses to keep the homes year-round, and the chair said the town will crack down on STRs already being advertised there.
Highlands East, Ontario, Canada
Enforcement / Licensing · Published September 17, 2026
Highlands East council unanimously approved a revised short-term rental licensing bylaw on September 8 that cuts unnecessary administrative steps, including a requirement to physically verify property repairs before a license is approved. The update clarifies fines under Ontario's Provincial Offences Act of up to $50,000 for a first offence and $100,000 for later offences, which staff said are reserved for cases where every other compliance step has failed.
→ Source: HE clarifies STR enforcement
Developing Regulations
Clark County, Nevada
Enforcement / Legal · Published September 15, 2026
Clark County took its fight over short-term rental fines to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where attorneys argued on September 14 over a federal injunction that has paused fines and citations against illegal and unlicensed rentals since December. Homeowners and Airbnb sued the county, calling its STR rules unconstitutional and draconian, and both sides are now waiting on the judges' decision.
→ Source: Clark County Takes Fight Over Short-Term Rental Fines to Federal Appeals Court
Montgomery County, Maryland
Licensing / Platform Compliance · Published September 15, 2026
Councilmember Evans introduced Bill 42-26, which would require online platforms to verify a host's county license before listing a property, bar them from collecting payments for unlicensed rentals, and require annual occupancy reports, with the county providing an electronic license verification system. An Inspector General report found more than 85% of the county's short-term rentals were operating without a license, costing close to $1 million a year in lost revenue, and a public hearing is set for October 6.
→ Source: Councilmember Evans Introduces Legislation to Close Short-Term Rental Compliance Gaps
Skokie, Illinois
Licensing / Fees · Published September 18, 2026
Skokie trustees voted 5-1 on September 8 to back changes to the village's short-term rental pilot program that would give owner-occupied hosts lower license fees, allow one-night stays, and remove booking limits, with a final vote expected September 22. Only 10 of the village's roughly 129 STRs applied to the pilot, which required a $1,200 license plus at least $2,450 in fees, after operators said the February rules failed to separate resident hosts from investor-owned rentals.
→ Source: Skokie Rolls Back Fees, Restrictions on Certain Airbnbs
Poultney, Vermont
Licensing / Caps · Published September 17, 2026
Poultney's Planning Commission tabled a draft short-term rental ordinance indefinitely after weeks of community pushback, with its next meeting set for October 21. The May 2026 draft would require annual licenses with no automatic renewal and let the select board cap the number of STRs, in a town with about 55 advertised rentals.
→ Source: Poultney Planning Commission delays short-term rental ordinance after pushback
