Why Distance Restrictions in Short-Term Rental Ordinances Are Unfair and Unnecessary

By Jacqueline Flores, GLVSTRA President and Founder

Like many neighbors, responsible short-term rental owners want clear, sensible rules that keep neighborhoods peaceful, safe, and welcoming for everyone. We support strong regulations that address real issues like noise, parking, trash, and other nuisances. However, distance restrictions — rules that limit how close one STR can be to another or from a resort hotel — often do more harm than good.

These restrictions don’t actually solve neighborhood problems. Instead, they treat property owners differently based solely on location or unrelated factors, rather than on behavior or compliance. In plain terms: they punish responsible owners for issues caused by a few bad actors, without any proven connection to fixing noise, parking, or trash problems.

Worse, many proposed distance restrictions lack clear, definite standards. At best, they are vague and difficult to enforce; at worst, they treat property owners unequally and raise serious equal protection concerns under the U.S. Constitution. Without specific, objective criteria, these rules create confusion, invite arbitrary enforcement, and open the door to legal challenges.

The Right Way to Handle Neighborhood Concerns

We understand the worries: no one wants disruptive guests, overcrowded parking, or overflowing trash bins affecting their quality of life. But cities and counties already have effective tools on the books to address these exact issues:

•  Noise problems? Enforce the existing noise ordinance.

•  Parking issues? Apply the current parking regulations and restrictions.

•  Trash or litter? Use the established trash and waste ordinances.

•  Any other nuisance? Hold individual bad actors accountable through targeted enforcement.

These existing rules apply equally to all properties — whether short-term rentals, long-term rentals, or owner-occupied homes. They focus on behavior and outcomes, not on preemptively penalizing an entire class of property owners.

Distance restrictions, by contrast, cast a wide net. They assume every STR is a potential problem and penalize responsible hosts “just in case.” This approach is neither fair nor necessary. It’s like restricting everyone’s ability to use their own property because a few strangers might misbehave. Responsible hosts already screen guests, provide clear house rules, and have the ability to monitor guest behavior 24/7 for quick resolution of any issues.

What Smart Regulation Looks Like

Everyone wants the same outcome: clean, quiet, thriving neighborhoods that welcome visitors and support local economies. The best path forward is to:

•  Strengthen enforcement of proven, existing ordinances rather than layering on new, untested restrictions.

•  Drop distance-based rules that discriminate between owners and create uneven playing fields.

•  Focus on practical, behavior-based solutions that hold violators accountable without broadly punishing innocent property owners.

Overly broad or poorly defined restrictions often lead to unintended consequences, including reduced housing options, economic impacts on hosts and local businesses, and potential lawsuits. They also discourage investment in neighborhood properties and can drive responsible operators underground.

If your city or county is considering new STR rules, we encourage officials to prioritize enforceable, fair, and targeted regulations. Work directly with hosts, neighborhood groups, and stakeholders to craft solutions that actually address problems at their source.

Responsible STR owners are ready and willing to collaborate on practical measures that protect neighborhoods while preserving property rights. Let’s build regulations that reward good actors and effectively deter the few who cause issues — without unnecessary distance restrictions that treat owners unequally and solve nothing.

Hosts everywhere: when speaking at public hearings or writing to your representatives, keep the message clear, factual, and solution-oriented. Emphasize shared goals (peaceful neighborhoods), highlight existing tools, and push back against rules that punish the many for the actions of the few.

By advocating this way, we help shape smarter policies that benefit everyone.