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Board discusses short-term rentals and sewer impacts; staff told to consider rate-class review and enforcement options
Summary
Members raised concerns that short-term rentals (Airbnb/VRBO) operating on unmetered single-family residential accounts could increase sewer usage and neighborhood impacts. The board directed staff to consider aligning rate classifications and to explore enforcement mechanisms with code enforcement or the health department.
Board members discussed the growing presence of short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO) in the district and potential impacts on unmetered residential sewer accounts.
A South Bend representative told the board the district is seeing instances where single-family homes are being used as commercial short-term rentals and raised questions about whether those accounts should be treated differently. The representative noted that the district uses a planning figure of about 310 gallons per day to represent a typical three-bedroom residence for South Bend billing purposes.
Board members said many residential connections are flat-fee accounts and that short-term rentals can produce higher-than-expected sewage usage as well as neighborhood impacts such as increased parking and transient groups. Members discussed whether enforcement would be a code-enforcement or health-department issue, and observed that the district does not currently have an ordinance explicitly covering short-term rental sewer usage.
Staff noted that building permits and real-estate listings can provide leads if a home is listed with additional bedrooms not reflected in permit records. Members suggested the district consider reviewing rate classifications across subdistricts so similar uses are categorized consistently and recommended examining a short-term rental or hotel rate class or attaching seasonal/occupancy-based surcharges where feasible.
No formal ordinance or rate change was proposed at the meeting. The board directed staff to research options, including possible coordination with HOAs, code enforcement and the health department, and to return with recommendations.
