Dearborn adopts package of ordinances to restrict short‑term rentals outside business districts

The Dearborn City Council on July 15 approved a package of ordinances that restrict short‑term rentals outside designated business districts, create a new registration and safety regime for STRs, and replace older bed‑and‑breakfast rules in the city code. The council amended the effective date for the package to Jan. 1, 2026 to give operators time to comply.

Council President Cerini said the measures are intended to “keep Dearborn’s residential neighborhoods truly residential” and to reduce nuisance and safety problems residents raised during months of public hearings and study sessions. The ordinances drew lengthy public comment at the meeting, with dozens of residents, rental hosts and organizational representatives giving testimony for and against the changes.

The package includes: zoning changes that limit STRs to existing downtown/business districts (Ordinance No. 25‑18‑45); new occupancy and building‑standards rules requiring a city certificate of occupancy, local point‑of‑contact and basic safety equipment (Ordinance No. 25‑18‑47); removal of separate bed‑and‑breakfast rules to avoid overlap with the new STR framework (Ordinance No. 25‑18‑48); and an update to prohibitions and enforcement language for hotels and STRs (Ordinance No. 25‑18‑49). Together the ordinances create a permit system and fines for nuisance violations: $750 for a first offense, $1,000 for a…