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Harris Township hears broad public feedback as staff refines short‑term rental framework
Summary
Residents urged limits and enforcement while many hosts defended rental income; staff identified 88 short‑term listings and proposed annual permits, owner‑occupancy and safety inspections. The board asked for public comment and will refine grandfathering, occupancy and enforcement rules before drafting an ordinance.
Township staff presented a draft framework for regulating short‑term rentals and invited public feedback after telling the Board of Supervisors it had identified 88 listings in the township on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO.
The staff presentation recommended annual permits, rental housing inspections by Center Region Code Administration, limits of no more than two short‑term units per property, requirements for proof of septic suitability and liability insurance, and an owner‑occupancy definition that would require the owner to reside on the property at least eight months of the year.
Residents in neighborhoods with clustered rentals urged stronger controls. Mike, a Willowbrook resident, said clustering and continual off‑street parking were changing the neighborhood character; Sue Trainer said, “Everything’s off street, but it’s a mess,” describing a property with many vehicles on the lawn.
Several owner‑hosts said limits on nights would harm families that rely on rental income. Maria Mosley, who said she is owner‑occupied and hosted about 90 nights last year, told the board that the income had helped her family maintain and improve an older home and that responsible hosts bring business to local restaurants and shops. “If you limit me to 40 nights, I am not going to do very well with it,” Mosley said.
Some speakers supported owner‑occupancy rules to prevent vacant investor‑owned homes from becoming de facto hotels. Ken Klein Smelter urged owner‑occupancy and cited inspection requirements he had experienced when operating an Airbnb elsewhere.
Board members discussed options including exemptions for military deployment, temporary work relocations, and sabbaticals, as well as whether to grandfather existing non‑conforming rentals. Supervisors emphasized enforcement tools — permit conditions, local contact persons for 24/7 complaints, and revocation for repeat violations — as central to any effective regime.
Chair summarized next steps: staff will post the full framework online, highlight decision points (for example, whether to set cumulative nights at 45, 120 or another number), solicit written comments, and return to the board to refine the draft ordinance and a potential grandfathering approach. No ordinance vote occurred at the meeting.
The board asked staff to balance neighborhood concerns and household economic needs, and to return with a draft ordinance that clarifies definitions, enforcement, and any grandfathering window or conditions.
