Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Newport council deadlocks on sweeping short-term rental ban after hourslong debate
Summary
After hours of testimony from residents, lawyers and short-term rental owners, the Newport City Council split on a package of ordinance changes aimed at limiting guest-house short-term rentals in business districts; several substantive amendments failed on second reading while some technical fixes passed.
The Newport City Council spent much of its Sept. 9 meeting debating a package of ordinance amendments intended to limit the conversion of existing housing and commercial properties into short-term rental guest houses.
Councilor Marco Romley, sponsor of the measure, said the change was intended to "stop the bleeding" of housing stock being converted to short-term rentals and to preserve workforce and long-term housing options. Romley told the council he did not intend to revoke any existing permitted short-term rental rights, but said new guest-house uses should be restricted in business districts to protect remaining dwelling units.
Opponents — including attorneys representing property owners and the Rhode Island Short Term Rentals Association — warned of legal risk and questioned whether the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
