‘They want to know their neighbors’ St Charles leaders considering changing city short-term-rental laws, cap number to 48

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (First Alert 4) - St. Charles city leaders are considering a plan that would largely stop new short-term rentals from coming into the city, and if space did open for a new one, it would have to be in the area of the city where I’m at — around Main Street.

Council members first considered the proposal Tuesday but did not vote on it.

Currently, the city has a moratorium on new short-term rentals. This new bill would end the moratorium but impose heavy restrictions.

It would cap the number of short-term rentals, sometimes called Airbnbs, at around 48 STR’s, roughly the number St. Charles has right now. It would require any new short-term rentals to be in the Main Street area, otherwise known as the Historic Preservation District, but would grandfather in any existing short-term rentals in neighborhoods throughout town.

The bill keeps the 500 foot buffer from short-term-rental to another.

“What we hear from residents is they want to know their neighbors,” said Zach Tusinger.

Director of Community Development Zach Tusinger said this proposal preserves the status quo and allows some tourists to use STRs but strikes a balance with residents.

“They don’t want to be priced out of their neighborhoods, they want to be able to send their kids out on the street and know who’s going to be at the house across from them, or down the street from them or next door to them when they come home on a Friday night.”

Nobody came up to oppose or support this plan Tuesday, but First Alert 4 heard from an owner of short-term rentals in the area via text, who said other owners are not happy about this and that it’s an extreme restriction.