Lafayette’s rules for short-term rentals begin taking effect April 1, and include new permit requirements and a ban on operations in certain parts of the city. Here’s what you need to know.
STRs are banned in single-family neighborhoods
Effective October 6, short-term rentals will be banned from the city’s Residential Single-Family (RS) zoning districts, which account for about 75% of its residential area. That provision doesn’t include any exceptions for existing STRs in those areas, meaning they face two options: get rezoned or get out of the business.
A map of zoning districts is available online from Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Room limits, booking minimums and other rules
Lafayette’s new rules stipulate that STRs cannot be rented for less than one full night, and they require STR operators to have an agent available at all times to address concerns from renters or neighbors within 30 minutes to an hour.
The new rules also add special restrictions on STRs in Residential-Mixed (RM) zoning districts, including a prohibition on paid events and private parties. And they impose a maximum limit of four rooms per STR that can be offered for rent in those districts, all of which must be rented to the same person.
Licenses are now required
For existing STRs in zoning districts where they will be allowed to continue operating, the deadline to apply for LCG’s annual $100 license is April 1. LCG’s application packet for those licenses is available online.
Applicants will be required to provide parking info, bedroom counts and a list of property owners with contact information, as well as proof that they have not previously had a similar license revoked elsewhere.
Operators will also have to provide proof that they’ve notified their immediate neighbors of their intent to run an STR on their property. Failure to follow LCG’s new rules could cause an operator’s permit to be revoked, which precludes them from reapplying for a license for one year.