Wichita City Council members voted Tuesday to adopt licensing requirements for properties used as short-term rentals, through such operations as Airbnb or Vrbo.
An ordinance with licensing requirements has been in development since a fatal shooting took place in April, 2021 in the Crown Heights neighborhood in east Wichita.
The ordinance defines a short-term rental as the practice of renting a furnished room or home for a stay of 28 days or less. All short-term rental properties will have to be licensed and they will have to have liability insurance. There will be an annual licensing fee of $225. The maximum overnight occupancy will be limited to two adults per bedroom plus two adults, with no occupancy limit for children. Any gatherings at the property will be limited to two times the maximum occupancy or 20 persons, whichever is less, and gatherings will have to disperse by 10 p.m.
The Council approved the licensing requirements and zoning changes for short-term rentals by a vote of 6-1, with Council member Jeff Blubaugh voting no.
The Council considered another ordinance dealing with nuisance parties at residential properties, and this issue came out of the discussions on short-term rental properties. Council members decided to defer action on this ordinance until their December 12th meeting.
