Planning commission asks council for input on short‑term rental rules; primary residency and annual licensing proposed

Lander, Wyo. — At a late work session the planning commission presented options for regulating short‑term rentals and asked council to gather public feedback. Staff suggested splitting existing short‑term definitions into four specific forms — short‑term rental (owner‑occupied stays of 30 days or less), hostel (single‑bed rentals with shared facilities), motel (rooms with direct parking access), and hotel (rooms off a common hallway) — and aligning maximum occupancy triggers with the building code (transient R1 occupancies vs. residential R3). An annual short‑term rental license was proposed for residential zones to verify ongoing compliance with fire, tax and safety rules.

The planning commission stressed the distinction between occasional owner‑occupied rentals and commercial conversions that could remove long‑term housing supply. Council asked staff to solicit constituent feedback and recommended a January feedback consolidation (target: Jan. 15) to allow revisions before drafting an ordinance for readings.

What staff requested: council requested that constituent feedback be channeled through the city planner (Reene) to avoid inadvertent serial communications among council members. Planning staff said they will compile submitted comments and return with a recommended ordinance draft.

Next steps: council members and residents asked to submit comments (suggested deadline mid‑January) and planning staff will use them to prepare a draft ordinance for future consideration.