As short term rental offerings have expanded, Lexington hasn’t quite kept pace when it comes to keeping track of them. That’s according to Adrian Bryant with CivicLex. He says this week council members will weigh a number of new regulations aimed at getting the city more up-to-date when it comes to Airbnbs and similar rental properties that have popped up in recent years.
"If you ask anyone in the city how many there are in Lexington, you don't get a really solid answer because we don't have any structures to keep track of that. There are some that pay some taxes and fees, but... as Vrbo and Airbnb have exploded over the last five years, the city has not kept up with it a whole lot."Adrian Bryant, CivcLex
New regulations could include mandatory registration of the rental properties with the city, licensing fees, and special taxes.
Renters hosting visitors on property where they live will likely face far fewer hurdles than those offering short term rentals on unhosted properties.
You can hear more in the full interview above.
