Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Short Term Rentals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff: 429 licensed short‑term rentals in Norman; council weighs geographic limits and higher fees
Summary
Assistant city attorney Jenny Snyder told the oversight committee Norman has identified 429 licensed short‑term rental properties, heavily clustered in Ward 4, and presented options including geographic caps, higher licensing fees and stronger neighbor‑notification requirements.
Jenny Snyder, assistant city attorney, briefed the oversight committee on Dec. 11 on the city's short‑term rental (STR) ordinance and enforcement.
Snyder said staff had identified 429 licensed STR properties citywide and that one ward (Ward 4) contains a heavy cluster — 214 licenses in that council member's area. "We have 429 identified licensed properties," Snyder told the committee. She said the majority of STRs are single‑family homes rather than accessory dwelling units.
Snyder described the city's current compliance process: an annual licensing and inspection regime (renewal inspections by planning staff), an online complaint portal and a designated complaint phone line. She said the licensing and inspection fee structure includes an inspection and varies nationally, and quoted local revenue numbers: about $77,400 in licensing fees last full fiscal year and roughly $550,000 in occupancy tax receipts as of the June 2025 snapshot in the staff report.
On potential policy responses, Snyder outlined several options the council could ask staff to draft: geographically limiting the number of licensed STRs in a neighborhood or ward, instituting a moratorium or cap on new licenses, adjusting licensing fees, tightening neighbor‑notification requirements, or enhancing enforcement procedures. She noted some cities use moratoria or caps, and cautioned that litigation in other jurisdictions can result when limits are imposed.
Council members raised particular neighborhood concerns, especially in older, more affordable neighborhoods where residents worry that clusters of STRs reduce housing stock and change neighborhood character. Snyder said staff can produce a GIS map showing clusters and offer draft ordinance language if the council wishes to pursue geographic limits; she suggested any limit could allow existing licenses to continue until renewal to reduce abrupt disruptions.
No ordinance amendments were adopted at the meeting. Staff were directed to provide additional maps and data if council wishes to advance changes.
