Housing advocates back St. Charles County ordinance requiring inventory of short-term rentals

Michelle Woods, representing Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles County, urged the council to advance Bill 5490, an ordinance enacting Section 660 of the county code related to short-term rentals. Woods told the council the group supports the bill because it would give the county a clearer picture of how many short-term rentals exist and how they are affecting the housing market.

"Short-term rentals take up residential properties, repurpose them into commercial, and... that's causing prices to spike," Woods said. She recommended the county consider limits similar to those the city of St. Charles used, such as a cap tied to the percentage of total housing stock or geographic restrictions to particular districts.

Bill 5490 was introduced at the meeting and is sponsored by council members Patty York and Tim Baker. The council chair noted that a work session was already held and that the final vote is scheduled for the next meeting in two weeks.

Supporters at the microphone said the ordinance is a small local-policy step that could contribute to maintaining starter-home inventory amid broader pressures such as land and construction costs. The ordinance, as introduced, would require the county to track short-term rental properties; the draft also contemplates further limits as a next step but does not adopt specific caps at introduction.

If the council advances the ordinance on final reading, any specific limits, geographic exceptions or permit requirements would be considered as part of the ordinance language on later readings. No final policy or numeric cap was adopted at the May 11 meeting.