Pittsburgh council hears hours of public comment on short-term rentals, holds proposed ordinances for further review

Dozens of residents, short-term rental hosts and neighborhood advocates urged Pittsburgh City Council to either restrict or preserve short-term rentals during the standing committees meeting on Sept. 10, 2025. Council members heard roughly an hour of public comment on proposed city code changes before voting to hold the two related bills for a post-agenda session.

The speakers’ positions split between homeowners and small hosts who described short-term rentals as a vital source of income and community benefit, and neighborhood residents and housing advocates who argued investor-run units remove housing from the long-term market. Councilwoman Gross moved to hold the two bills for a post-agenda discussion; the motion was seconded and carried, postponing a formal vote on the ordinances.

The bills held for later review are an ordinance to add a short-term rental housing chapter to the business licensing code (identified in the agenda as Bill 20-81) and an accompanying zoning amendment to add short-term rental use definitions and accessory use rules to the zoning code (Bill 20-82). City staff read both measures into the record during the committee agenda. Councilwoman Gross said she wanted a dedicated post-agenda meeting so council members could clarify remaining questions about the scope and impacts of the proposed rules before advancing them.

Commenters supporting restrictions said concentrations of short-term rentals disrupt neighborhood cohesion and reduce long-term housing supply. Meredith Kepler, who identified herself as a Mexican War Streets resident, told the council: “I live in the Mexican War Streets, and it’s truly sad to see how many homes that could be filled by neighbors are instead operating as hotels.” Andrew Kellerman of Lawrenceville said short-term rentals “change how it feels to live there” and urged limits that would prioritize permanent residents.

Opponents of tighter rules—many of them hosts—argued that small-scale rentals provide affordable lodging, neighborhood economic benefits and family-friendly alternatives to hotels. Mike Ling, who said he rents individual rooms in a six-bedroom Homewood home, said: “Our low prices allow our guests, who may otherwise not be able to find affordable accommodations, to have a nice, clean, safe place to stay.” Several hosts noted they employ local cleaners and managers and pay occupancy taxes.

Speakers on both sides used specific claims to support their positions. Casey McGill, a North Side resident, said “we have around 3,000 Airbnbs in the city,” and that “Bobby Wilson has around 400 just in his district.” John Hanrahan, who identified himself as a North Side resident, argued investor-run short-term rentals remove houses from local housing markets and increase housing scarcity.

Council members did not debate or amend the text during the standing committees meeting. By holding the bills for a post-agenda session, the council preserved time to gather additional information and to discuss specific provisions—such as owner-occupancy requirements, limits on concentration of units, permitting processes and enforcement—before scheduling further public hearings or votes.

The matter will return to council at a later post-agenda meeting; a date and agenda placement were not specified at the Sept. 10 session. Until that later session, the proposed licensing and zoning changes for short-term rentals remain under council consideration but not adopted.