Executive Summary
Watauga, Texas, will require annual registration and permits for all short-term rentals starting January 1, 2026, with enforcement allowing residents to report suspected violations. Hurricane, Utah, hosts are pursuing a class-action lawsuit after a 2023 ordinance forced at least 32 operators to shut down rooms and reject bookings, with some facing foreclosure on properties purchased specifically for STR use. A federal judge blocked Clark County, Nevada, from enforcing its STR licensing requirements, daily fines, and nuisance declarations after finding the system likely violates constitutional due process due to slow processing and enforcement against pending applicants. Columbia, South Carolina, advanced first-reading approval of zoning rules that would restrict new short-term rentals in most residential areas to major collector roads only, though existing STRs would be grandfathered. New York City's legislative attempt to ease its strict host-presence requirements and registration mandates failed, leaving the effective ban on most short-term rentals intact in one of the country's largest potential markets. Meanwhile, Lisbon reversed its 2019 restrictions after they accelerated housing costs rather than improving affordability, now allowing short-term rentals to comprise up to 10% of local housing supply.
New regulations
Clark County, Nevada
Published: December 19, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing/Enforcement
Summary: A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking Clark County from enforcing key aspects of its short-term rental ordinance in unincorporated areas, including requiring STR licenses, issuing daily fines, declaring rentals public nuisances, or recording liens, after finding the system likely violates constitutional due process due to slow processing, limited application windows, and unfair penalties on pending applicants. This temporary ruling, stemming from a lawsuit by the Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association and Airbnb, provides immediate relief to hosts by halting enforcement actions and protecting property rights pending a final decision in the ongoing case.
Source: Short-term rental group wins court ruling to block Clark County fines for now
Lisbon, Portugal
Published: December 17, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing/Occupancy Limits
Summary: Lisbon has reversed its 2019 short-term rental restrictions and citywide moratorium on new licenses after they failed to improve housing affordability, instead contributing to accelerated price growth in sales, rentals, and hotels. The updated rules now permit short-term rentals to make up to 10% of the local housing supply, allowing more opportunities for hosts to use properties for supplemental income while providing visitor accommodations.
Source: Lisbon overturns short-term rental rules that failed to cut housing costs
Watauga, Texas
Published: December 1, 2024
Regulation Category: Licensing/Registration
Summary: The City of Watauga has adopted Ordinances 2025-001 and 2025-002, mandating registration and permits for all short-term rentals (including Airbnb and Vrbo listings), with annual renewals required. Enforcement begins January 1, 2026, after which unregistered properties face citations, and residents can report suspected violations for code enforcement review.
Source: Short-Term Rental Registration Required in Watauga
Hurricane, Utah
Published: December 18, 2025
Regulation Category: Zoning/Occupancy/Licensing
Summary: Airbnb hosts in Hurricane are exploring a class-action lawsuit against the city's 2023 Ordinance 10-51-14 b(4), which limits rentable guest rooms, imposes building type and parking requirements, and allegedly fails to grandfather pre-existing short-term rental properties under Utah state law. At least 32 hosts report being forced to shut down rooms, reject bookings, and face fines/license revocation, leading to financial hardship including potential foreclosures for those who invested in larger homes for STR use.
Source: Airbnb hosts consider class-action lawsuit over Hurricane City's new regulations
Developing Regulations
New York City, New York
Published: December 18, 2025
Regulation Category: Occupancy/Licensing
Summary: A bill supported by Airbnb that aimed to relax New York City's strict short-term rental rules (including host presence requirements and registration mandates that have severely limited listings) failed to advance in the legislative process. This leaves the existing heavy restrictions unchanged, continuing to effectively ban most short-term rentals and hindering Airbnb's return to one of its formerly major markets.
Source: Airbnb's NYC Comeback Dashed After Bill Easing Restrictions Dies
Columbia, South Carolina
Published: December 18, 2025Regulation Category: Zoning/OccupancySummary: Columbia's City Council has advanced a zoning ordinance (first reading passed December 16, 2025) that would restrict new short-term rentals in most residential areas to major collector/arterial roads while allowing them in commercial/mixed-use districts, with grandfathering for pre-existing STRs. This moves toward lifting a June 2025 moratorium triggered by safety concerns, potentially impacting business operations and tourism, though opponents push for better enforcement of current rules instead.Source: Columbia, SC gets closer to enacting new Airbnb restrictions