Creating tougher restrictions on rentals

New restrictions have been put in place for short-term rentals like Airbnbs in Peoria, adding another chapter to a multi-year debate in City Council chambers about how to handle rentals in the city.

The new restrictions, which were approved by the City Council on Tuesday night, reduce the number of nonowner occupied rentals that can operate in the city. Another measure was proposed that would stiffen penalties for short-term rentals that are not in compliance with city rules.

But the council also discussed what was called a “nuclear option” — a complete ban on short-term rentals in Peoria.

Over the past two years, the council has only had a slight majority against short-term rentals in Peoria, with votes generally falling along 8-3 lines.

But Tuesday night, the new restrictions were put in place unanimously. One former proponent of short-term rentals admitted to “doing a 180” on the subject and is now in favor of exploring the “nuclear option.”

Tim Riggenbach, the councilmember from the 3rd District, said after hearing from neighborhoods and rethinking the arguments of fellow council members, he now believes Peoria needs to crack down on shortterm rentals.

“I think we need to take a hard look at whether or not we allow them to be in our two, three and our four, singlefamily neighborhoods — and that’s a 180 for me, I’ll admit it. But hearing what my colleagues said about listening to the neighborhoods, hearing what the neighborhoods have been telling me, I think that’s something we need to consider,” Riggenbach said.

One of the stricter proposed enforcement rules for short-term rentals is a “one and done policy” that says a short-term rental license can be revoked for any complaint received against the property.

A complaint against a short-term rental would go through the city’s administrative process, which takes about 60 days, before there would be a

hearing on the matter. After a hearing, there is another appeal process that could take another 35 days.

When all is said and done, an Airbnb could have its license revoked 95 days after a complaint is filed.

“As a man of faith, I believe in grace and the concept of one and done is a little harsh. But after seeing some of the egregious actions that have been done in our neighborhoods, I think one and done is an appropriate response,” Riggenbach said.

At the last council meeting in December, Riggenbach was critical of the proposed restrictions on short-term rentals because the city had only received one complaint on operating rentals.

But since that comment, Riggenbach said he has heard from constituents who have documented other transgressions by short-term rentals they decided not to report because they felt nothing would be done.

“‘You didn’t listen to us when we said we didn’t want it, so why would you listen to us now?’” Riggenbach said constituents told him. “Kind of a slam, I think, to our enforcement process, but I am telling you that story to let you know there are more incidents out there than are called into the police.”

The new restrictions put into place Tuesday include a reduction from 3% to 1% on the number of short-term rentals that can occupy a neighborhood. They also create a spacing law of 1,500 feet between short-term rentals.

Existing short-term rentals and the two on the docket for council approval in coming weeks will be grandfathered into the new changes.

There are currently 35 owner-occupied short-term rentals in Peoria and 46 non-owner occupied properties.

The proposed enforcement tools will be voted on and signed into measure at a later council meeting.