Elmhurst begins phased rollout of short‑term rental licensing; most operators have not yet applied

City staff reported Monday that Elmhurst has begun a measured rollout of its newly adopted short‑term rental ordinance, including outreach to platforms and operators, an online application, and a Jan. 1, 2026 compliance deadline — but only one of about 39 known operators has submitted the required application to date.

Chief McLean and Public Affairs and Safety committee members outlined steps taken since the council updated the municipal code in May: staff notified Airbnb and VRBO of the ordinance changes, launched an online application that appears as a pop‑up at elmhurst.org, mailed letters to known operating addresses on July 18, and required short‑term rental operators to obtain a license, a certificate of occupancy for short‑term use, and pass an initial building and fire safety inspection.

The July letter set an application deadline of Oct. 16 so staff would have time to inspect and certify properties before the Jan. 1, 2026 compliance date. “To date, there's been a, not an overwhelming response. 1 has returned the application to the city. There are a total of 39 that we know of in the city,” a committee speaker reported.

Staff said follow‑up letters will be sent and that the city may re‑engage the platforms directly to encourage compliance. The committee is monitoring rollout progress and plans additional updates to the council once more applications are received.

No enforcement steps or penalties were announced at Monday’s meeting; staff emphasized the phased approach was designed to avoid the legal challenges other communities experienced when implementing similar rules too quickly.