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Lancaster planner presents short‑term rental code; owners and tax officials urge clearer collection rules
Summary
City Planner Chasilyn Carter introduced a draft short‑term rental ordinance at the July 14 council meeting proposing permit requirements, safety inspections and fees; Visit Fairfield County and the city tax commissioner urged stronger mechanisms to ensure lodging taxes are collected, while property owners warned some provisions could be excessive.
City Planner Chasilyn Carter presented a draft ordinance to regulate short‑term rentals during the Lancaster City Council meeting on July 14, proposing a new Chapter 1131 with zoning‑clearance permit requirements, standards, permit revocation procedures, appeals and penalties.
Carter said the application remains a work in progress and reported that 42 short‑term rentals are currently operating in the city. She outlined proposed fees — an initial application fee of $150 and an annual fee of $75 — and said the draft would require initial, occupancy and annual zoning inspections and include parking standards with appeals to the Board of Zoning Appeals where off‑street parking is not available.
"The application is still a working process and there are 42 currently operating in the city," Carter said, summarizing the proposal and the enforcement steps built into the draft code.
Joneft Haberfield, executive director of Visit Fairfield County, told council the lodging tax funds the county tourism office and expressed support for regulating short‑term rentals "primarily for reasons of safety and equity." Haberfield described recent legislative efforts to require online platforms to collect taxes but said collection and enforcement remain imperfect.
Income Tax Commissioner Hamilton told council there is currently no single mechanism to track short‑term rental activity and that compliance varies by operator. "There are individuals that are very diligent about paying their taxes every month and others that are below the radar," Hamilton said, noting the city lacks a comprehensive tracking system.
A public commenter, C.J. Estel, told council that some proposed requirements — including floor plans and background checks for owners and managers — do not directly address the stated goal of collecting lodging taxes and could create additional costs for owners. Estel said he would submit a detailed list of concerns to council and called parts of the proposal a "money grab." The transcript does not specify whether the draft’s enforcement approach will immediately increase tax remittances.
Councilmembers asked about safety, inspection frequency and parity with other Ohio cities. Carter said the code is broadly consistent with other municipalities but acknowledged differences in specific provisions and emphasized that parking and zoning appeals would go to the BZA when necessary. Ms. Hoop asked whether platforms collect taxes automatically; Commissioner Hamilton confirmed platform collection helps in some jurisdictions but said gaps remain.
Ordinance Temporary 31‑25 received its first reading; councilmembers indicated it will return for further readings and additional questions as the application is refined.
Next steps: the short‑term rentals ordinance remains under consideration and will appear on a future council agenda for additional readings and debate.
