Executive Summary
Three U.S. municipalities have implemented outright bans or severe restrictions: Maui County advanced legislation to phase out approximately 7,000 apartment-zoned short-term rentals; Orange, Connecticut, prohibited rentals under 30 days effective December 9, 2025; and Rapid City, South Dakota, now requires state licensing, local registration, two off-street parking spaces, and occupancy limits of two persons per bedroom plus two. Clark County, Nevada, faces a federal lawsuit over its licensing freeze - no new applications have been accepted since a 2023 lottery, with hundreds still pending and unlicensed operators facing fines and property liens. Monroe County, New York, is considering opting out of a state-mandated registry that would increase transparency and tax enforcement, potentially becoming the only large upstate county to avoid these measures. Internationally, Milan banned self-check-in key boxes starting January 2026 with fines up to €400, and Bali's governor announced plans to ban Airbnb and similar platforms in 2026, targeting over 2,000 unlicensed properties often run by foreign nationals.
New Regulations
Maui, Hawaii
Published: December 2, 2025
Regulation Category: Zoning
Summary: The Maui County Council advanced an amended version of Bill 9 with a 5-3 vote, which would end exemptions allowing approximately 7,000 apartment-zoned units to operate as short-term rentals to address the housing crisis exacerbated by the 2023 wildfires. If passed, the legislation could significantly reduce short-term rentals, potentially leading to job losses and economic impacts, though a separate bill under consideration could exempt many properties by creating new hotel zoning districts.
Source: Maui County Council Advances Plan To Phase Out Short-Term Vacation Rentals
Orange, Connecticut
Published: December 6, 2025
Regulation Category: Zoning
Summary: The town of Orange has approved a zoning amendment prohibiting short-term rentals under 30 days in residential areas, effective December 9, 2025, in response to neighbor complaints about parties, noise, and safety issues. Long-term leasing arrangements remain permitted, and the change aims to prevent transient activity while not affecting other rental types.
Source: Orange bans short-term Airbnb rentals after neighbor complaints
Rapid City, South Dakota
Published: December 2, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing, Zoning
Summary: The Rapid City Common Council approved an ordinance on December 1, 2025, establishing a regulatory framework for vacation rentals, defined as properties rented for fewer than 28 consecutive days, requiring state licensing, local registration in advertisements, two off-street parking spaces, and occupancy limits of two persons per bedroom plus two additional. This measure aims to address the local housing shortage and protect neighborhood character, with less than 1% of estimated 600-1,000 vacation homes currently state-licensed, and includes conditional use requirements for rentals over five bedrooms.
Source: Increases to trash collection fees and short term rental regulations pass Rapid City Council
Riverhead, New York
Published: December 3, 2025
Regulation Category: Zoning, Enforcement
Summary: The Riverhead Town Board unanimously adopted changes to the town's rental housing code on December 2, 2025, to impose stricter restrictions on short-term rentals and improve enforcement mechanisms for violations. These updates, following a public hearing on November 18, 2025, may require short-term rental investors to comply with enhanced rules, potentially affecting operational flexibility and increasing the risk of penalties for non-compliance.
Source: Riverhead updates housing code to strengthen short-term rental restrictions: Dec. 2 Town Board wrap
Milan, Italy
Published: December 5, 2025
Regulation Category: Enforcement
Summary: Milan has approved a city council resolution banning self-check-in key boxes for short-term rentals starting January 2026, citing urban decorum, public safety, and unauthorized use of public space, with fines up to €400 per violation. Hosts must switch to alternatives like smart locks or in-person check-ins, aligning with similar bans in other Italian cities like Florence, Rome, and Venice to curb overtourism and gentrification effects on local housing.
Source: Milan bans self-check-in key boxes for short term rentals starting in 2026
Developing regulations
Kansas City, Missouri
Published: December 3, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing
Summary: Kansas City has updated its short-term rental ordinance to allow a "major event period" of up to 90 days during events like the FIFA World Cup, enabling residents to host visitors when lodging shortages occur, with applications opening December 15 at a reduced $50 fee. The changes include public safety penalties such as one- or three-year bans for violations, aiming to facilitate broader participation while maintaining accountability for short-term rental hosts.
Source: Kansas City makes changes to short-term rental rules to make World Cup hosting easier
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Published: December 3, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing, Zoning
Summary: The Green Bay City Council voted to scrap all proposed short-term rental regulations, including a cap of 180 operating days per year and a seven-day minimum stay requirement, and directed city staff to develop new recommendations with input from the Green Bay STR Alliance, community members, and officials. This reset follows debates over affordable housing, nuisance properties, and business interests, with no timeline set for new proposals and ongoing concerns about unlicensed rentals and permit compliance.
Source: Green Bay short-term rental rules thrown out and to restart talks
Sandpoint, Idaho
Published: December 7, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing, Zoning
Summary: The letter urges reconsideration of timing for Short-Term Rental (STR) deregulation and increased lot coverage amendments due to potential cumulative impacts on housing affordability in Sandpoint. It highlights that removing the STR cap, as required by the Idaho Supreme Court decision, combined with raising lot coverage from 35% to 70%, could incentivize property conversion to vacation rentals over long-term housing, exacerbating rent and price increases while raising environmental concerns like stormwater runoff.
Source: City's future must take precedence over financial gain
Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Published: December 6, 2025
Regulation Category: Zoning, Ownership
Summary: The Two Rivers Community Development Department will conduct a study starting in January to identify owners of multiple short-term rental properties and vacant homes, aiming to increase single-family home inventory on the market. This follows the city council's ordinance regulating short-term rentals passed earlier in 2025, with a noted decrease in such rentals as owners prefer long-term tenants due to reduced operational challenges.
Source: Two Rivers Community Development To Study Short-Term Rental Ownership
Clark County, Nevada
Published: December 5, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing, Enforcement
Summary: Dozens of homeowners gathered to receive legal updates on a federal court lawsuit challenging Clark County's short-term rental laws, which include fines for unlicensed operations and liens on properties for unpaid penalties. The lawsuit, supported by the Greater Las Vegas Short-term Rental Association and Airbnb, seeks an injunction against enforcement while criticizing lengthy licensing processes, with no new applications accepted since a 2023 lottery and hundreds still pending.
Source: Dozens of homeowners gather to learn rights, legal fight over short-term rental laws
Monroe County, New York
Published: December 5, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing
Summary: A New York state law effective this year mandates counties to opt in or out of a short-term rental registry, with Monroe County set to vote on this during its 2026 budget meeting on Tuesday. Opting in could provide data on short-term rentals' impact on the housing market and improve tax transparency, but County Executive Adam Bello urges opting out to preserve an existing 2018 agreement with Airbnb that has generated $1.2 million in hotel and motel tax revenue for 2024, while a legislator pushes for the registry to address potential housing supply issues and opaque taxation.
Source: Monroe County weighs creating short-term rental registry
Lewis County, Washington
Published: December 16, 2024
Regulation Category: Licensing
Summary: Starting January 1, owners of short-term rentals in unincorporated Lewis County must register their properties with the county, with a one-year compliance period provided. The newly established 11-member STR Advisory Group, composed of volunteers including non-STR residents, STR owners, a hotelier, and a fire district representative, will advise on implementation, including permit analysis, housing impacts, guidelines, metrics, and enforcement tools.
Source: County seeks applicants for its new Short Term Rentals (STR) Advisory Group
Encampment, Wyoming
Published: December 3, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing
Summary: The Town of Encampment adopted Resolution 2025-07 on October 9, 2025, imposing a temporary moratorium on short-term rental permits to study impacts on property values, resident safety, and long-term housing availability amid concerns over reduced affordable housing and service-industry workers from platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. One conditional use permit for a short-term lodging house was approved before the moratorium took effect, with neighboring Riverside considering similar discussions but not facing the same issues yet.
Source: Encampment Establishes Temporary Short-Term Rental Ban
Bali, Indonesia
Published: December 4, 2025
Regulation Category: Licensing
Summary: Bali Governor I Wayan Koster announced plans to ban Airbnb and similar platforms in 2026, arguing they erode local tax revenue and enable over 2,000 unlicensed villas and hotels, despite tourism growth not benefiting the regional economy proportionally. The move targets illegal operations often run by foreign nationals subletting properties, potentially shifting demand to licensed hotels while requiring industry cooperation to enforce regulations.
Source: Bali governor seeks to pull the plug on Airbnb