08/16/2026
Friday's STR news generated questions about the status of the rental ordinance and applying for a short rental. Answers to the most common questions are listed below.
Was the Court order voiding the City’s short-term rental ordinance effective immediately?
No. The court’s order does not take effect immediately. It is currently stayed until midnight August 24, 2026. A stay means that the court’s order is temporarily put on hold and is not enforced during that period. Until the stay ends, the cap remains in effect.
Can I apply for a short-term rental license before midnight August 24, 2026?
Yes. The City will continue to accept short-term rental license applications.
If I apply before before midnight August 24, 2026, is the City required to approve my application?
No. Because the court’s order is currently stayed, the city will only receive applications. Applications affected by the court’s ruling will not be approved or denied before the current stay expires.
What happens on August 25?
City Council will have a special session later this week to decide whether to appeal the court’s order. If an appeal is filed, the order will remain stayed while the appeal is pending absent further action by the Court. The City’s current STR ordinance and policies will remain in effect unless and until the Court lifts the stay, the appeal is resolved, or Council takes legislative action.
If no appeal is filed, the order will become effective and the city will review and process licenses accordingly.
What happens to my application if the City appeals? Can I still apply during the appeal?
Yes. The City will continue accepting applications during the appeal. While the court’s order is stayed, the City will continue processing applications under the existing STR ordinance and policies. This applies to applications received during the initial stay as well as new applications submitted during the appeal.
Should the stay be lifted in the future, the city will review and process licenses accordingly.
What happens to my license payment if I apply now?
Business license fees are not collected until a license is approved. There is no fee to apply and payment will not be accepted unless a license is issued.
Does the ruling mean the City cannot have any cap on short-term rental licenses?
No. The ruling does not say that the City cannot regulate short-term rentals or establish a cap on STR licenses. The court ruled that the cap could not be adopted through the referendum process used in 2023. It did not prohibit City Council from adopting a cap or other STR regulations through the City’s regular ordinance adoption process.
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