The Lincoln Park City Council updates its short-term rental regulations during its July 28 meeting.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK – Without the heated public comment that other cities have experienced, the City Council quietly updated its short-term rental regulations July 28, primarily to keep them out of single-family residential areas.
No residents spoke up in favor or against short-term rentals during the public hearing.
Wording changes were part of the new regulations, with lodging houses clearly prohibited in single family residential districts.
Lodging houses are defined as a building that contains not more than five guest rooms rented for compensation for up to 30 days, and refer to STRs like Airbnb and Vrbo.
A boarding house is defined as a building used for lodging, with or without meals, for more than five and less than 20 individuals, for periods exceeding 10 days, but distinguished from a hotel.
Boarding houses, lodging houses, and bed and breakfast inns are all subject to city site design standards and are subject to special approval being granted.
The sites will be evaluated for the degree of conflict between residential and commercial use.
Parking must be off-street and may not be in a front yard. Each must have two spaces plus one space for each guest room not permanently occupied by a resident of the dwelling.
Meals served at the house may only be for the residents, employees and guests of the establishment.
In addition, the dwelling must be the principal residence of the operator, who must live on the premises when rooms are being rented, which eliminates the problems associated with absentee landlords.