Springdale outlines short-term rental rules

People wanting to operate short-term rentals in Springdale will have to abide by rules set by council Tuesday night.

“We haven’t had any type of ordinance set in place for these types of properties,” Councilman Dan Copeland said. “It’s going to give us some type of insight as to what’s going on at these properties.”

The ordinance defines a short-term rental as a residential accommodation leased for fewer than 30 days. Such rentals have exploded in recent years with people renting out homes through companies such as Airbnb and Vrbo.

A permit must be issued by Springdale’s code enforcement officer before operation, and contact information for the property owner must be on file with the official. If the property owner lives more than 15 miles from the short-term rental, contact information for a local person must be on file. Occupants must be adults and provide their contact information to the property owner.

Before a permit is issued, the code officer must inspect the property. The permit is valid for the remainder of the calendar year from which it is issued. Owners renew by reapplying every two years on or before Dec. 15.

Short-term rentals must have at least one off-street parking space for each bedroom. The maximum number of vehicles allowed at the short-term rental will be limited to the available number of off-street parking spaces provided on the same property as the rental.

Overnight occupancy of a short-term rental can include no more than two people per bedroom or a maximum of eight, whichever is less. The maximum number of guests allowed during the day at one time, in addition to overnight occupants, must be 75% of the maximum overnight occupancy of the rental.

If a short-term rental is denied by the code official, he will send the owner written notice and the reasons for the denial. Permits can be revoked by the code official if information in the application is false or a violation has occurred on three or more occasions after the permit was issued. Owners can appeal to the borough council if a permit is revoked or denied.

It’s unclear how many Airbnbs operate in Springdale. Copeland, who is captain of the volunteer fire department, said many emergency calls come from rental properties and the ordinance is a proactive measure.

Council President Mike Ziencik said borough officials considered the ordinance because Airbnbs are becoming more common in the area. Freeport’s council will consider an ordinance on short-term rental regulations at a meeting Sept. 9. Aspinwall Council established rules for short-term rentals in December.