Governmental Affairs Committee Chair, District-C Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer, will present updates to the City Code regarding enforcement, permitting, and fees for New Orleans' Short Term Rental (STR) program. The Governmental Affairs Special Committee meeting is Wednesday, July 17th at 1 p.m. inside the City Council Chambers.
"This ordinance is a part of a comprehensive plan to update the City's Short Term Rental program, protecting our culture and the fabric of our neighborhoods. We have worked with other Council offices, as well as staff with Safety and Permits, to come up with important changes to our laws to ensure the City can manage and enforce our STR regulations," Councilmember Palmer stated.
These new ordinances look to ensure STRs are run in a professional manner, providing safe lodging and keep accurate and detailed records for all transactions. Owner-operators and third-party operators of an STR will be required to be permitted by the city and a permit will be required for each unit. Fees will also be charged for each night an STR is rented.
Occupancy limits will be set for each unit. Floorplans of homes showing what rooms will be for rent, evacuation plans showing fire exits, escape routes, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors are required. Required parking locations must be included and clearly marked.
A new permit will be established and required for any STR Platform agency to conduct and facilitate bookings and transactions in Orleans Parish. Annual permit fees for Platforms are set at $50-thousand. Platforms may only allow STR bookings for units with valid Owner and Operator permits.
STR permits are privileges, not rights and may be suspended or revoked for violations. Revocation is mandatory in certain circumstances when the STR presents an imminent threat to the public health, safety, or welfare.
A fact sheet on the proposed changes, requirements and fees can be downloaded here
To see the ordinance as it will be discussed by the Governmental Affairs Committee, download here