Strict Short-Term Rental Ban

A draft ordinance obtained from Rocky River's Zoning & Planning Committee would effectively ban all non-owner-occupied short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) within city limits, effective January 1. The draft defines a short-term rental as any lease under 30 days and requires the property owner to be physically present during the rental period. Properties that fail to comply would face fines of up to $500 per day. Impact Analysis: - An estimated 45-60 properties currently operate as non-owner-occupied STRs in Rocky River - If the ordinance passes, many of these investors will need to either convert to long-term rentals or sell - Expect a modest increase in single-family home inventory in the $250k-$400k range - Neighboring cities (Bay Village, Fairview Park) may see increased STR activity as operators relocate The committee vote is scheduled for December 12. The full council would then vote in the first week of January.