Executive Summary
Princeton, New Jersey, is implementing one of the most aggressive investor phase-outs in the country, requiring all short-term rentals to be owner-occupied primary residences by 2028, which will effectively eliminate over 1,000 investor-owned Airbnb listings in the college town. Maui County signed Bill 9 into law, phasing out more than 6,000 STRs in apartment-zoned districts to convert them back to long-term housing. Monroe County, New York - the largest upstate county with approximately 630 STR operators, voted to opt out of the state's new registry system, maintaining its existing Airbnb tax agreement and avoiding new registration fees and data reporting requirements that other New York counties are adopting. Grand Lake, Colorado, introduced tiered annual licensing fees ranging from $700 to $2,000 based on property occupancy capacity, which could significantly impact operating costs for larger vacation rentals. New Orleans is holding public hearings on proposed reforms that could further restrict commercial STR licenses in historic neighborhoods through conditional-use permits, while Annapolis, Maryland, considers a one-year moratorium on new licenses altogether.
New Regulations
Maui, Hawaii
Published: December 15, 2025
Regulation Category: Zoning (phasing out in apartment districts)
Summary: Mayor Bissen signed Bill 9, phasing out short-term vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts to return over 6,000 units (primarily non-resident owned) to long-term residential housing. This targets Minatoya-listed units, addressing the county's high proportion of STRs (21% of housing stock) post-wildfires.
Source: Mayor Richard Bissen signs historic Bill 9 into law after Maui County Council vote
Princeton, New Jersey
Published: December 16, 2024
Regulation Category: Zoning (owner-occupancy/primary residence requirement), tax
Summary: Princeton Town Council approved restrictions requiring short-term rentals to be the owner's primary residence starting in 2028, phasing out investor-owned properties with a three-year transition period. A new 3% transient accommodation tax will be imposed on guests, impacting over 1,000 current Airbnb listings and addressing housing availability concerns.
Source: Town Council imposes significant restrictions on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals
Greenport Village, New York
Published: December 14, 2025 Regulation Category: Zoning (minimum stay, owner-occupancy) Summary: Greenport Village adopted a permissive policy allowing short-term rentals with no minimum stay requirement while mandating owner-occupancy to prevent pure investor operations. With 346 active permits among under 1,000 parcels, this contrasts stricter nearby jurisdictions and aims to balance tourism with housing concerns, though enforcement challenges remain.
Source: Editorial: Greenport's short-term rental gamble
Oneida County, New York
Published: December 14, 2025 Regulation Category: Licensing (registration) Summary: Oneida County is reminding STR owners to register their properties by January 1, 2026, in compliance with New York State law, to continue listing on platforms and enable 5% occupancy tax collection. Failure to register could prevent online bookings, enforcing oversight in the county's short-term rental market.
Source: Oneida County reminds about deadline to register short-term rental units
Monroe County, New York
Published: December 10, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing (registry opt-out)
Summary: Monroe County Legislature voted to opt out of New York's state-mandated short-term rental registry, maintaining the current Airbnb agreement that collected over $1 million in taxes in 2024. The county can opt in later, avoiding new registration, fees, and data requirements for STR operators.
Source: Monroe County opts out of short-term rental registry, passes 2026 budget
Grand Lake, Colorado
Published: December 9, 2025
Regulation Category: Tax (fees/licensing)
Summary: Grand Lake implemented a tiered annual renewal fee for STRs ranging from $700 (1-3 occupants) to $2,000 (11+ occupants), plus a $165 application fee, to cover enforcement costs proportionally. This supports family-owned second homes in a market with 76% non-primary residences, without imposing caps or strict zoning limits seen elsewhere.
Source: Grand Lake introduces tiered fee structure on short-term rentals
Developing Regulations
New Orleans, Louisiana
Published: December 13, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing, zoning
Summary: New Orleans City Planning Commission held a public hearing on proposed STR reforms, including limits on commercial STRs in historic neighborhoods and stricter regulations based on a recent study. With current licensed and illegal units in play, changes could further restrict new commercial licenses via conditional-use permits following a prior moratorium.
Source: Proposed short-term rental rule rewrite gets public hearing
Annapolis, Maryland
Published: December 10, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing (moratorium on new)
Summary: Annapolis City Council is considering a one-year moratorium on new short-term rental licenses to address enforcement and inventory issues, while allowing existing renewals. Exemptions apply to owner-occupied rentals and high-demand events, amid reports of many unlicensed operations.
Source: One-year pause on new short-term rental licenses considered in Annapolis - CBS Baltimore
Sandpoint, Idaho
Published: December 14, 2025 Regulation Category: Licensing (cap removal, conditional use permits), zoning Summary: Sandpoint's Planning and Zoning Commission is holding hearings on proposed changes to remove the 35-unit cap on non-owner-occupied STRs in residential zones to comply with state law. New rules would categorize STRs by occupancy, require conditional use permits for high-occupancy (11+ people), and increase parking requirements for larger groups. Source: P&Z to host STR and lot coverage public hearings Tuesday