Mantua’s attempt to regulate short-term rentals has stalled, with residents expressing concern over lengths of rentals and special circumstances.
Council tabled the matter after a June public hearing and sent the proposed legislation back to the village’s planning commission for further consideration. Should any changes be made, a second public hearing would have to be held before council could vote.
Included in the proposed regulations are short-term rentals listed on Airbnb, HomeToGo, Vacasa, Vrbo and other similar platforms. The ordinance would require property owners to register with the village and pay a one-time $50 fee. Rentals for any one customer would be limited to 30 days, and the number of renters would max out at double the number of bedrooms plus three.
Property owners would have to provide proof of at least $1 million in insurance. They would also have to provide a local emergency contact who would be available around the clock.
The penalty for failing to comply with the provisions would be a misdemeanor offense: upon conviction punishable by up to $500, compounded daily.
The idea, Mayor Tammy Meyer said, is to allow property owners to use their properties as short-term rentals, while mitigating potential disruption to neighbors.
Excluded from the ordinance’s provisions are businesses defined as bed and breakfasts, inns and boarding houses.
Meyer said she only knows of two short-term rentals in the village, but allowed there could be more, both now and in the future.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.