Elmhurst council approves short-term-rental ordinance; resident asks how enforcement will work

The Elmhurst City Council approved an ordinance adding short-term rentals to the Elmhurst Municipal Code on May 19, 2025, voting 14-0 to adopt the consent agenda item that included the new short-term-rental section.

The measure was listed on the consent agenda as item 6.9 (an ordinance to add section 31.21, “short term rentals,” to article 1 of chapter 31 of the Elmhurst Municipal Code) and was approved after a motion to adopt the consent agenda. Alderman Paluto moved to approve the consent agenda; Alderman Nudaira seconded. Clerk Tamer recorded a roll call with 14 ayes and no nays.

The adoption took place after public comment in which resident Ryan Lightner asked several practical questions about how the new rules would be implemented and enforced. Lightner asked whether short-term-rental applicants would need to submit a copy of their online listing, show proof of insurance, undergo an inspection to demonstrate compliance with occupancy and safety codes, and who neighbors should call to report suspected short-term-rental activity. He also asked, “How will the property owners know about the ordinance… and how long do they have to apply for said license once notified before any kind of fines…” and whether unpaid fines could lead to a chronic-nuisance violation or condemnation.

Mayor Scott M. Levin responded during the public forum that, “we don't respond directly during public forum, but someone will get back to you.” The meeting record contains no additional staff presentation or council discussion at the May 19 meeting that answered Lightner’s operational questions about licensing timelines, inspection protocols, required insurance, or enforcement thresholds.

What the ordinance establishes and what will be required of short-term-rental operators (for example: application materials, proof of insurance, inspection requirements, occupancy limits, timelines for compliance, fine amounts, or procedures for declaring a chronic nuisance) were not described on the record at the May 19 meeting; those implementation details were not read into the record during the consent vote.

Next steps: Because the ordinance was approved on the consent agenda, implementation details and any administrative rules or enforcement procedures are expected to be handled by city staff following adoption. The council did not set an effective date or outline enforcement steps during the May 19 meeting; staff follow-up was promised to the speaker but no timeline was provided.

Public-record documents: the ordinance was listed on the meeting agenda as item 6.9, “an ordinance to add section 31.21 entitled short term rentals to article 1 entitled administration of chapter 31 entitled business licensing, regulation, and registration of the Elmhurst municipal code.”