Shawnee reviews first year of short-term rental rules, directs staff to study enforcement and online listings

The City of Shawnee on Feb. 24 reviewed the first year of its short-term rental ordinances and directed staff to study legal avenues to identify and license unlicensed properties and to address listings on major vacation rental platforms.

City Attorney Jenny Smith provided a historical overview of the short-term rental regulations and the program’s first-year results. By the numbers presented to the council: the city granted 28 short-term rental licenses, one license was revoked at the Dec. 9, 2024 meeting, four were voluntarily withdrawn and 23 licensed short-term rentals remain active. Staff estimated roughly 40 to 60 unlicensed short-term rental properties may still operate in the city.

Staff told the council that four properties generated 23 code complaints; eight properties generated 18 calls for emergency service (911), and two properties alone were responsible for 11 of those calls. The council discussed the city’s relationship with Airbnb and VRBO and options for tracking down unlicensed listings.

At the end of the discussion the council directed staff to study what legal avenues are available to require licensing of unlicensed short-term rental properties and how to handle listings on the two major vacation-rental websites. The staff study will be reported back at a future council committee meeting; no ordinance changes were adopted at the Feb. 24 meeting.