DuPage County committee refers short-term rental zoning amendments to public hearing

The DuPage County Development Committee voted July 1 to refer proposed amendments to the County Zoning Ordinance that would regulate short-term rentals in unincorporated areas to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a public hearing.

The committee chair said the proposal is intended both to regulate rentals advertised on platforms such as Airbnb and to generate county revenue. "Apparently, there's people using [short-term rentals] in unincorporated areas... without much money coming to the county," the chair said during the meeting.

Jessica (department staff) described how the draft ordinance would treat short-term rentals as a permitted home-occupation use, subject to rules matching single-family residential standards. "This would place Airbnb's as permitted," Jessica said, and she explained that the ordinance would limit occupancy, require registration and inspections, and create a special-event permit process for larger gatherings.

Committee members asked about particulars that staff said would be fleshed out at the public hearing. The draft sets an occupancy cap of no more than five people unrelated by blood or marriage in a short-term rental; Jessica said that cap "just piggybacks off" the county's single-family definition. She added that inspections would occur at application and likely again at renewal.

Members discussed fees and enforcement. Jessica described a likely annual registration and renewal fee but said exact figures have not been set; she characterized a possible fee structure as similar to a liquor license, "a couple thousand dollars maybe with an application fee, and that yearly renewal of a couple thousand." The chair and staff also described existing adjudication practices: fines currently assessed for violations are collected through adjudication, and the county has pursued enforcement in some locations where repeated problems occurred.

Committee members raised public-safety and special-event concerns. One member noted a recent incident that required law-enforcement response, reporting the sheriff's office was called to a location where there were "40 to 50 people in a fight." Staff said special-event permits would be required for gatherings that exceed the occupancy cap or that involve activities such as weddings or large parties.

Several members said they support the referral and noted the county will refine details at the public hearing. Member Ozark, who spoke about short-term rentals as an income source for homeowners, said she may comment again at the zoning hearing.

The committee had a motion and a second to refer the amendment to the Zoning Board of Appeals for public hearing; the committee voted in favor and the referral will proceed to the ZBA and subsequently to the County Board as part of the public process.

Next steps: staff will prepare public-notice materials and fee proposals for the ZBA hearing; specific fee amounts and final regulatory language will be considered at that hearing and in subsequent County Board review.