Committee amends and advances HB2481 on transient guest tax, short-term rentals during World Cup window

The Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development amended and passed House Bill 2481, which makes definitional changes to the transient guest tax statute and adds a temporary, narrow exception for short-term rentals during an international event window.

Revisor Reimer explained HB2481 makes two definition changes in KSA 12-1692: it alters thresholds relevant to the definitions of "hotel, motel, or tourist court" and "accommodations broker," which affects which properties are subject to transient guest tax. The committee considered and adjusted amendment language that would have changed the threshold to 1 or more rooms and instead restored language consistent with "more than two" or "two or more" bed counts in the statute.

A later amendment adds a brief, date-certain provision allowing homeowners to rent properties as short-term rentals during a specified two-month World Cup period (May 15–July 25) without municipal resolutions that would otherwise prohibit the number of short-term rentals for that window; municipalities would still accept applications and must respond within 15 calendar days. Committee members pressed the reviser to define "short term rental" and confirmed the transient guest tax uses a 28-day cutoff in related statute language; the reviser agreed to clarify definitions in drafting.

Representative Ward moved the bill favorably as amended and the motion passed by voice vote.

What’s next: staff will coordinate statutory definitions and ensure publication requirements (Kansas Register) are met for the temporary effective date; HB2481 will proceed with the committee's favorable recommendation.