Skokie trustees debate limits on short-term rentals after residents report noise and safety problems

Skokie leaders and residents on Sept. 2 debated whether and how to regulate short-term rentals after staff presented a draft ordinance and community members described repeated disturbances near their homes. The discussion matters because residents said investor-run short-term rentals have replaced long-term neighbors, produced late-night noise and created safety concerns, while staff said the village currently treats short-term units the same as long-term rentals under its rental registration program and cannot reliably identify listings online. Community development director Johanna Nyden told the board, “Here in Skokie, we do not presently regulate short term rentals, through a specific short term rental ordinance or regulations.” Nyden said staff estimates 15 to 30 short-term rentals (STRs) operate in Skokie and that about 20 are registered under the village’s rental program. The draft ordinance staff circulated would define STR types (owner-occupied, hosted, unhosted and investor-owned), require annual registration and inspections, set a minimum stay of 48 hours, require guest information (trash, parking, emergency exits) and create a revocation process for repeat violators. Mayor Tennis said she opposes allowing STRs in residential zoning districts for short stays. “I don't believe that we should allow any short term rentals in residential zoning districts,” she said, advocating a 30-night minimum for any rental in residential areas and tighter limits on owner-occupied units. Trustee Schechter urged the board to adopt principles before crafting rules, saying regulators should “preserve income diversity in the village” and discourage investor conversions that remove housing from the long-term rental stock. Schechter also said she would generally oppose STRs in multifamily buildings unless a unit has a separate exterior entrance. Trustee Melissa Levy and others said they favored regulation rather than an outright ban but pressed for stronger enforcement and earlier quiet hours to limit late-night disturbances. Some trustees also proposed excluding ADUs from STR eligibility; one trustee said ADUs should be reserved to address local affordable housing needs. Several residents described direct problems. Xavier Diokno, a recent Skokie resident, said, “I have not seen my neighbor. Rather, I have seen a carousel of strangers walking into the house next door. It is very unsettling.” Bob Kucel, a resident of the 7600 block of Trip, said of an investor owner: “He was buying a business.” Shelly Padd, a 24-year resident, warned that investors buying lower-cost homes for STRs reduce affordable housing supply. During public comment and board discussion, people proposed specific changes staff might consider: limiting STRs to owner-occupied units, setting seasonal or annual frequency caps so a property cannot be rented every week, excluding multifamily buildings or ADUs, tightening registration fees and penalties tied to market value, and using block- or block-face spacing to avoid clustering. Several commenters and trustees also asked staff about enforcement: who checks occupancy, how inspections will be scheduled and whether insurance or platform requirements are appropriate. No ordinance vote was taken. Staff said the draft is for discussion and further revision; the board indicated it wants additional options (including zoning-based approaches) vetted, and that any zoning changes would go to the plan commission for review. The village manager noted that the existing rental registration process currently treats STRs as rentals and that a distinct regulatory approach would be developed if the board directs it. Looking ahead, the board signaled it will return to the issue with a revised draft reflecting trustees’ policy preferences and more detailed enforcement options.