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Independence resident urges council to allow owner-occupied ADUs as short-term rentals
Summary
Naomi Wolfson, an Independence resident, told the council she was forced to stop hosting a short-term rental in an on-site ADU after ordinance changes and urged a grandfathering path for owner-occupied ADUs, proposing limits and noise safeguards to preserve neighborhood character.
Naomi Wolfson stood during the public-comment period and urged the Independence City Council to create a clear path for owner-occupied accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to operate as short-term rentals. Wolfson said she launched a listing on Airbnb in 2022 and completed renovations before being told by the city she must "shut down your Airbnb or apply for a permit." She said changes to the short-term rental rules disqualified ADUs and left longtime resident-hosts without a path forward.
Wolfson proposed adapting a Kansas City policy to Independence that would grandfather owner-occupied ADUs and allow primary residents to rent them up to 270 days a year, exempting those grandfathered units from the city’s 500-foot density restriction. "Residents can only use one dwelling on the property to be used as the short-term rental," she said, adding that local hosts provide tax revenue and hire nearby services such as cleaning and maintenance.
Wolfson told the council she had surveyed immediate neighbors within 185 feet and found no objections, and she said she received no formal complaints or ordinance violations in a sunshine records request. She recommended retaining existing noise-monitoring guidance as a strong recommendation — not a mandatory requirement — for owner-occupied ADUs, noting that similar bed-and-breakfast operations treat monitoring as optional.
The remarks came during the public-comment portion of the Nov. 3 meeting; council members did not take formal action on the request that night. No staff response or specific council directive was recorded during the meeting; Wolfson said she hopes council and staff will work together to craft a rule that balances neighborhood character with opportunities for resident income generation.
Council staff and the planning department will be the next points for any ordinance changes; any formal proposal would require staff review and return to an agenda item for council consideration.
