A proposed ordinance would limit short-term rental licenses to one per homeowner

A new ordinance proposed by Residents for Ethical and Sustainable Tourism (REST) would limit short-term rental licenses to Orleans Parish residents who rent out extra rooms in homes where they live full-time. Resident would be required to have valid homestead exemptions and comply with safety regulations in order to get their licenses.

Short-term rentals were legalized in New Orleans in 2016. The city’s current model permits three kinds of rentals: accessory short-term rentals, temporary short-term rentals, and commercial short-term rentals.

Accessory short-term rentals are rental spaces that fall within a homeowner’s property—such as a spare bedroom or half a shotgun double. Homeowners must have a valid homestead exemption to get this license. Accessory short-term rentals are the only kind the REST ordinance would allow.

Temporary and commercial short-term rental licenses would be outlawed under the REST ordinance. Both of these licenses allow “hosts” to rent out whole homes. The temporary short-term rental license limits the number of nights the rental is available to 90 per year; the commercial license allows unlimited rental nights, but the property must be in a non-residential zone.

The REST ordinance drew support from the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC).

“GNOFHAC supports the Residents for Ethical and Sustainable Tourism (REST) ordinance because it will stop STR speculators from displacing residents from our neighborhoods and simplify the process for struggling homeowners looking to share the home they live in with tourists so they can make ends meet,” the group posted on its Facebook page.

REST is spearheaded by Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, a housing rights organization. The City Planning Commission meets Sept. 25 to discuss the ordinance and make recommendations to City Council.