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Ocean Springs reports fewer short‑term rental wait‑list applicants; staff proposes software for enforcement
Summary
City staff told the board the density-zone wait list for short‑term rental permits is now zero, with 54 density permits active and 55 citywide approvals; staff recommended adding a rental-management module to the iWORKS system to track Airbnb/VRBO listings and improve enforcement, and aldermen discussed raising permit fees to cover the tool.
City staff presented an update on the short-term rental moratorium and permitting system, reporting dramatic reductions in backlog: the density zone wait list is now zero, with 54 active density permits and one pending, and the citywide program has 55 approved permits with a few on the wait list. "We have a total right now of 54 permits. There is 1 pending," the short-term-rental staff member reported, and described efforts to clean up records and work closely with building and code enforcement to issue stop-work orders when necessary.
Staff recommended procurement of a rental-management add‑on for the city's iWORKS system that can monitor listings on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO and flag unpermitted short-term rentals for enforcement. Board members discussed whether the city should budget for the software or raise permit fees to offset the cost; some aldermen suggested raising the fee to about $600 to shift the cost to permit holders, while others preferred starting with the existing $60 fee schedule and revisiting if enforcement problems persist. The board did not vote on a fee change and directed staff to return with cost estimates and a proposed funding approach.
