Short-term rental regulations for parts of Minnehaha County back in front of council

A set of new rules for short-term rentals on apps like Airbnb or Vrbo in some parts of Minnehaha County are back before the Sioux Falls City Council.

The ordinance would only apply to homes within the joint jurisdictional area of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County, an area of county land around city limits that is expected to one day become part of the city.

The ordinance is similar to one that came before the council earlier this year, though it was remanded back to the planning commission following an amendment that would require a conditional use permit for any short-term rental, as opposed to being a permitted special use.

Should the ordinance pass, short-term rentals would have an occupancy limit of three people per bedroom, and would have to have one parking space per bedroom. The home would need to be registered with the state, and the contact information for the owner would need to be on file with the city's Planning and Development Services department.

It would also define a short-term rental as "A dwelling or portion thereof, or a mobile or manufactured home or portion thereof, that is rented, leased, or furnished to the public on a daily or weekly basis for more than fourteen (14) days in a calendar year and is not occupied by an owner or manager during the time of rental."

Officials have said there are only three homes in the area that currently meet these standards, which are currently registered as bed and breakfasts.

None of the regulations would apply to any homes within Sioux Falls city limits, though city officials have discussed setting up some rules that were somewhat less restrictive.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Short-term rental regulations for parts of county back before council