Windy Hills council adopts revision to Rental Ordinance requiring registration of owner-occupied rentals

The Windy Hills City Council voted Dec. 9 to adopt a revision to Rental Ordinance #110 that removes the exemption for owner-occupied properties and requires registration of any property where money or services are exchanged for the right to live there.

Councilwoman Helen Davis moved to accept the revision; Councilwoman Kate Greer seconded. The council approved the change in a roll-call vote (Davis, Greer, Rademaker, Spencer, Teaford, Theiler — all "Yay"). The ordinance will become law in 10 days.

Mayor Dr. John Roberts spoke in opposition, saying the change "would be difficult to enforce, adds little or nothing to the safety of the property, creates a nuisance and expense for the property owner, creates more paperwork for the city, and is, in my view, an infringement on the owner’s property rights." He raised examples he said would complicate enforcement, including relatives living in a home and arrangements involving nannies.

Councilwoman Davis responded that the registration ordinance had helped Windy Hills address a long-running problem on Indian Ridge Road where a property was being rented by the night to transient occupants; she said registration enabled the city to resolve liens and fines and avoid court. Councilman Steve Teaford characterized the revision as a correction of a past clerical error and said the original council intent was to require registration in these circumstances.

The clerk read the ordinance text during the meeting, which clarifies that a rental exists "if any amount of money or services are exchanged for the right to live there," with narrowly drawn exceptions such as certain trust arrangements. The ordinance leaves interior housing-safety inspections to Metro Louisville, consistent with current practice.

Next steps: the ordinance takes effect in 10 days; enforcement and administrative details were not specified at the meeting.