Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Short Term Rentals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rome planning board recommends clarifications to short‑term rental ordinance before common council
Summary
The planning board voted unanimously to forward a recommendation to the common council on Ordinance No. 9807A (short‑term rentals), asking for clearer language on whether permits are per unit or per parcel, parking limits, a $150 annual fee, and host responsibility for tenant compliance with city code.
The City of Rome Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the Common Council adopt Ordinance No. 9807A—an amendment to Rome City Code Chapter 80 that would establish a permitting process for short‑term rentals—while asking the council to clarify several provisions before adoption.
A planning‑staff speaker told the board the draft ordinance generally “does a pretty good job” but recommended specific clarifications: that the permit fee be $150 annually and that the ordinance explicitly state whether the permit applies per address/parcel or per rental unit. The staff speaker said the board should also clarify how the ordinance treats multi‑unit buildings and accessory dwelling units.
The board and staff discussed parking at length. Staff and board members advised that short‑term‑rental permits should not be read to override existing zoning parking maximums. The planning‑staff speaker suggested the permit application require the host to advertise a fixed number of off‑street parking spaces so the advertised maximum matches what is enforceable, and to add a catchall sentence stating that nothing in the short‑term rental section shall override other provisions of the code.
On tenant and host responsibilities, staff recommended language making the host responsible for ensuring tenant compliance with all city rules and regulations, “including but not limited to” garbage and recycling, winter parking, public nuisance, and noise violations. The board discussed how to define a “unit” (staff noted building code typically counts kitchens as the unit divider) and asked the Common Council to consider a clear rule on whether permits are per kitchen/unit or per parcel.
Planning staff said the drafting team had been working on short‑term rental language for about a year and a half and aimed to be neither overly restrictive nor to encourage excessive conversions. The board ultimately moved to forward the ordinance to the Common Council with the planning board’s recommendations; the motion carried unanimously.
The board did not set an enforcement schedule or financial implementation timeline; staff said those details would follow during the council’s deliberations and the clerk/legal office review. The recommendation packet will be sent to the Common Council and to the city’s corporation counsel for further drafting and clarification.
