By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
The City of Yukon now has “teeth” in its code of ordinances to regulate short-term property rentals.
After two years of study and discussion, the Yukon City Council on Aug. 1 voted 5-0 to approve adoption of the Yukon Unified Development Code and Zoning Map.
The document regulates development within Yukon’s municipal boundaries “with the specific intent to establish land use regulations for the City of Yukon.”
The city’s 147-page development code includes a section that specifically regulates short-term rentals – commonly referred to as “Airbnb” or “Vrbo” online vacation rentals.
Short-term rental operators violating the new code are subject to stiff fines and face revocation of required permits and licenses.
The newly adopted Unified Development Code requires short-term rental operators to “obtain and maintain a city-issued short term rental license.”
All property owners within 600 feet will be notified about any request for a special use permit for a short-term rental in their neighborhood.
The code reads:
- Use of the short-term rental for any commercial or social event is prohibited.
- A licensee or guest of a short-term rental shall not use or allow use of sound equipment, amplified music and/or musical instruments.
- A licensee of guest of a short-term rental shall not violate any parking ordinance, noise ordinances or any other ordinances of the City of Yukon Municipal Code.
Among information that short-term rental operators must post on the property and provide to renters/guests are:
The license number and expiration date, the operator’s and property manager’s names and phone numbers, location of off-street parking spaces available for guests, occupancy limits, and floor plan with fire exit and escape routes.
Section 904 of the Unified Development Code specifies fines for violating any terms of the short-term rental license: $250 per day for the first violation, $500 per day for the second violation and $750 per day for the third violation.
Anyone advertising a property for short-term rental without first having obtained a special permit and short-rental license also is subject to fines: $200 per day for the first violation, $400 per day for the second violation and $650 per day for the third violation.
Otis Davenport, of E Platt Drive, thanked Yukon city leaders for their hard work crafting the Unified Development Code.
Davenport and some of his Parkland II neighbors have attended many city council and planning commission meetings over the past year-plus to voice their concerns about a short-term rental property in their housing addition.
The Yukon Police Department frequently receives complaints about safety, noise, trash, lighting, and private issues about one particular Airbnb dwelling in Parkland II.
MUST FIRST IDENTIFY
The City of Yukon will notify by mail any resident who has a short-term rental in their home about the new code, which requires they obtain a permit.
Yukon city officials must determine which property owners inside city limits are operating Airbnb’s and Vrbo’s.
“The first step will be identifying the businesses,” Yukon city attorney Roger Rinehart told the city council. “Since they haven’t registered, the city (of Yukon) doesn’t have a registry of them.”
The City of Yukon does know the address of the Parkland II short-term rental home that has been the source of many complaints. That property owner will be among the first to receive a notice, Assistant City Manager Mitchell Hort pointed out.
“I hope we do this swiftly for you all,” Yukon Mayor Shelli Selby told concerned neighbors.
Ward 4 City Council Member Aric Gilliland shared his appreciation to city staff and contractors for their efforts preparing the new Yukon Unified Development Code.
The code update process began in 2021.
“The scope and scale of this work is massive,” Gilliland said. “The work that’s been done has been very thorough.”
