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West Fargo approves first reading of short-term rental licensing ordinance after committee revisions
Summary
The West Fargo City Commission voted 4-1 on Monday to approve the first reading of Ordinance A24-28, which establishes licensing and rules for short-term rentals.
The West Fargo City Commission voted 4-1 on Monday to approve the first reading of Ordinance A24-28, an amendment to Title 4 and Title 10 that establishes licensing and regulation for short-term rentals of residential dwellings.
The ordinance, presented by Aaron Nelson, director of planning and zoning, follows a short-term rental committee that met four times and recommended revisions to a previously tabled draft. Nelson told the commission the committee’s primary changes were the removal of a primary-residency requirement, a shift to building-code–based occupancy calculations, and an adjusted licensing term.
"The main change is the removal of the primary residency requirement," Aaron Nelson said, describing how the revised draft removes language that would have required a unit to be a licensee’s primary residence. He added that occupancy would be calculated under building codes based on square footage of bedrooms and living space rather than the zoning definition for dwelling occupancy.
The ordinance would allow dwelling units to operate year-round as short-term rentals and requires licensees to post the license at the unit entry and to post good-neighbor guidelines for renters. Nelson said the license term would run July 1 through June 30, replacing the previous January–December renewal cycle to avoid holiday-season renewals.
Commissioners commended staff and the committee for outreach. Chief Nielsen of the fire department and planning staff provided support during drafting, Nelson said. No members of the public spoke at the public hearing; the record closed before the commission voted.
Commissioner Jorgensen moved to approve the first reading of Ordinance A24-28; Commissioner Anderson seconded. The motion carried on a 4-1 vote.
The ordinance will return for additional hearings and subsequent readings before final adoption; the action on Oct. 20 was the first reading and does not itself adopt the ordinance.
Documents related to the committee’s process, including a redlined version of the ordinance and results of a public survey referenced in the staff packet, remain available in the commission packet for further review.
