The changes to Midway’s nightly rental regulations come after long discussions about the sometimes-conflicting needs of visitors and year-round locals.
City planner Katie Villani said at a meeting Dec. 2 the changes are mostly needed because the number of rental units has soared since Midway first adopted a short-term rental ordinance.
“Congratulations to Midway: it was one of the first cities that had a short-term rental ordinance,” she said. “But a lot of things have changed, and short-term rentals have really taken off.”
A staff report last month said Midway’s nightly rentals can accommodate as many as 5,000 visitors at any given time.
Villani said one of the changes is requiring owners to post a small plaque near each property’s entrance with contact information in case of any issues.
“If police are responding to a scene, they know who to call in the event of a problem,” she said. “I like calling it an information plaque, and the idea is to keep it consistent with what we’re already doing in other areas, such as our cottage industry.”
Small businesses in Midway must do the same thing.
If a rental property manager has two or more violations in a 12-month period, the city council will have the power to revoke their business license for a year.
The previous probation period was six months.
The changes also require a rental property to follow Midway’s rules regardless of who’s in the house, whether it’s the owner or a guest.
“The idea is, if you’ve opted in to rent this, then this code’s provisions are applying to you, regardless of whether you’re in it or somebody else is in it,” Villani said.
An entire home must be rented. Owners can’t choose to rent only a section of the property.
To read the full list of changes to the Midway short-term rental rules, visit the city website.
