Des Moines council approves ordinance regulating short‑term rentals after amendment

The Des Moines City Council passed an ordinance limiting and regulating short‑term rentals in residential neighborhoods on Sept. 25, approving draft ordinance 25‑001 as amended.

The ordinance, adopted after a second reading and changes requested by council members, defines short‑term rentals as lodging provided for at least one overnight but not more than 30 consecutive nights and requires owners to notify nearby neighbors annually. The measure also allows the city to deny or revoke a short‑term rental permit if a property generates three or more police calls for service within a 12‑month period and requires owners to retain noise‑monitoring system data for at least 30 days and to provide it to the city on request. The ordinance sets the mandatory noise monitoring trigger at 80 decibels for longer than 30 seconds to capture sustained disturbances rather than short spikes.

Why it matters: Council members said regulation was needed because STRs already operate in Des Moines and, when unmanaged, can cause repeated neighborhood disturbances that city code and existing enforcement tools have not fully addressed. Supporters said the rules create a way to require operator accountability and give city staff clear standards for enforcement; opponents said parts of the ordinance impose requirements that may be difficult to administer and urged clearer contact and on‑site signage options to aid neighbor reporting.

Council debate and amendments: Council Member Vicki Harris proposed and the council approved an amendment clarifying that a short‑term rental is offered for a period of at least one overnight but no more than 30 consecutive nights; the amendment passed 4‑3. Harris also proposed language requiring the “good neighbor” agreement to be posted on site and “available for public inspection”; that second amendment did not receive a second and therefore was not adopted.

Process and enforcement: The ordinance requires annual distribution of a notification letter to properties within 200 feet of the rental property and to properties directly across the street. Under section 13 of the draft, repeated calls for service—three or more in 12 months—become grounds for permit denial or revocation. The soundtrack/noise provision requires owners of properties that must install a noise‑monitoring system to configure it to alarm at sustained noise events at or above 80 dB for longer than 30 seconds; failure to retain or provide 30 days of monitoring data can also be cause for revocation.

Council reaction and final vote: During debate, council members described a mix of experiences from constituents—some business owners who operate STRs responsibly and neighbors who said repeated late‑night disturbances had harmed quality of life. After amendments were resolved, Deputy Mayor Steinmetz moved to adopt the ordinance as amended and Council Member Mahoney seconded. The ordinance was adopted unanimously, recorded as a 7‑0 vote.

What happens next: The ordinance will be codified by staff and enforcement guidelines and notice procedures will be finalized. The council did not adopt Harris’s proposal to require an on‑site placard with owner contact information; several council members noted that owners who want to avoid neighbor conflict typically provide contact information voluntarily and that some owners have privacy concerns about displaying owner contact information on a placard.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance 25‑001 (short‑term rentals) — Moved: Deputy Mayor Steinmetz; Second: Council Member Mahoney; Amendment (rental duration language) moved by Council Member Harris, passed 4‑3; Final adoption: 7‑0.

Ending: The new rules take effect once the ordinance is codified; enforcement procedures and administrative forms will be prepared by city staff and returned to council if further clarification is needed.