Commission approves changes to residential zoning affecting short-term rentals (2-1 vote)

The Kane County Commission voted 2-1 to adopt Ordinance 2025-29, a revision to Land Use Ordinance Chapter 6 that changes how short-term and vacation rentals are treated in residential zones.

Commissioner Gwen Brown introduced the proposal to limit the number of short-term rentals on a parcel to one and to remove the conditional-use path that previously allowed two short-term rentals in larger lot zones. Brown said the change aims to preserve the character of rural residential neighborhoods and encourage long-term housing options.

Commissioner Celeste Myers and others questioned whether a countywide ordinance is the best tool for a problem that appears concentrated in specific subdivisions and raised concerns about unintended consequences for property rights. Legal staff clarified differences in definitions between short-term rentals and bed-and-breakfast operations and confirmed that bed-and-breakfasts are governed separately in R-5 zoning.

After competing procedural motions and a roll-call sequence that recorded a 2-1 outcome, the ordinance was approved with Commissioners Brown and Cabea voting in favor and Commissioner Myers opposed. The ordinance text includes amended language limiting multiple short-term rentals per lot and removing the conditional-use pathway for authorizing two vacation rentals on a single parcel under the circumstances described in the presentation.

Next steps: County staff will update zoning maps and code references to reflect the ordinance changes and publish guidance on how existing properties are grandfathered or affected by the new rules.