By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
After hearing concerns from owners of local Airbnbs, the City of Great Bend decided to amend an ordinance Monday night regarding short term rental regulations.
Passed in June, the ordinance was created to balance the rights of renting out properties and preserve the neighborhood. One of the main requirements of Airbnb owners was to receive at least 55% of adjacent owners within 200 feet to sign an affidavit approving of the Airbnb in their neighborhood.
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Great Bend City Attorney Allen Glendenning said the new ordinance will remove the neighbors' approval portion.
"Owners will still be given notice that a short-term rental is going in close to them," said Glendenning. "They can keep an eye on it. If there are violations or it's causing problems, they can bring that to the attention of the city. Action can be taken, including the revoking a license if one of those becomes a problem."
The amendment approved Monday will also make licenses for a period of two years instead of one, which will reduce the number of inspections. The city’s building inspector will also be allowed to license a higher maximum occupancy where it is reasonable for the particular property.
Councilmember Alan Moeder felt like all the ordinances needed to be revised to include standards for all rentals, not just short-term rentals.
"We're sitting here trying to control short-term rentals, and our long-term rentals, half of them are on the abatements constantly and their yards are trash," said Moeder. "The short-terms have to keep the place up because they won't rent them if they don't. I think we're over pursuing this. If we're going to pick on short-term rentals, we better go after long-term rentals too."
The council voted 7-1 to approve the changes to the regulations on the operation of short-term rentals.