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Councilors say village is missing lodgers tax from some short‑term rentals; staff to tighten procedures
Summary
Councilors and staff discussed low lodgers‑tax collections and repeated 'zero' filings by short‑term‑rental owners. Staff said they have begun asking for supporting documents and will update procedures and ordinance language to improve enforcement.
Councilors and staff spent an extended portion of the meeting reviewing lodgers‑tax (short‑term rental) collections and enforcement gaps.
Staff told councilors that lodgers‑tax receipts are lower than expected and that some property owners repeatedly file returns showing zero rentals despite platform listings. “We have people that are turning in zeros on their so they're turning in their sheets, but they're claiming they had no rentals,” a staff speaker said while describing outreach and enforcement steps the village has begun taking.
Councilors asked whether the village could require quarterly reporting and supporting documents from short‑term‑rental owners; staff said they have begun requesting supporting documents when an owner claims an exemption (for example a >30‑day stay) and will review ordinance language to strengthen compliance. Staff also noted limits in using data from third‑party platforms: the software flags listings but does not confirm completed rentals or amounts collected for municipal lodgers tax.
Members agreed to direct staff to pursue ordinance updates and administrative procedures that would improve documentation and collection of lodgers tax going forward.
