Evanston delays vacation-rental code update, imposes temporary moratorium on new licenses

Evanston's City Council on Nov. 24 heard multiple public comments and later took two distinct actions on short-term and vacation rentals: the council tabled an ordinance that would amend the city's vacation-rental code and adopted a temporary moratorium on new vacation-rental licenses.

During in-person public comment, Tina Payton and other speakers urged the council not to relabel certain furnished units as "short-term rentals" if they are rented to students for periods greater than 30 days but less than a year. Payton said the proposed change would conflate vacation rentals (less than 30 days) with furnished, longer-term student rentals and could harm small landlords who depend on flexible tenancy patterns.

Council member Burns introduced Ordinance 73-O-25 to amend the municipal code on vacation rentals. Council member Rogers moved to table the ordinance to the first regular City Council meeting of January 2026; that motion carried on roll call (7-0). The city announced HDC4 would be brought back in January.

Separately, Council member Burns moved Resolution 115-R-25 to authorize a moratorium on issuance of new vacation-rental licenses (the moratorium covers all vacation rentals, not only non-owner-occupied licenses) until March 9, 2026. Council member Rogers clarified the moratorium's scope at the dais; the resolution passed 7-0.

The council's action leaves the substantive code rewrite for further committee and council consideration while imposing a short-term pause on new licenses to allow staff and the council time for review and public engagement.