Short-term rentals in Little Rock will soon be subject to new rules

Little Rock, Arkansas – After the Little Rock board of directors approved a new ordinance on Tuesday night, new rules for short-term rentals are on the way.

Only 500 Airbnbs and VRBOs will be permitted in the city moving forward. Additionally, owners will be charged a $500 annual inspection fee.

If three police complaints are filed against their rental within a year, they risk losing their business license as well.

“I usually stay at short-term rentals when I travel but I think there needs to be some regulation and I think this is a good starting point,” said Capi Peck at Tuesday’s board meeting.

Regulators are a good thing, but not the ones that were voted on, according to short-term rental owners like Mia Foreman.

“The $500 for an annual inspection is excessive. That is not an equitable approach to small business owners like me,” said Foreman.

She added that she was concerned that this might harm the company she created in order to support her family.

“So we can have the income and supplement what I wasn’t bringing home and be able to be present in providing the life care for my mother, which was the utmost importance at that time,” she described.

Paul Dodds and other owners have already started taking steps to ensure that they can continue operating their short-term rentals.

“If there’s only 500 of them, I want to make sure that I can get in on it,” said Dodds.

He is concerned that these rules could seriously harm the industry.

“After going through all this hassle to get a license, you can lose it in a heartbeat because someone complains,” he added. “A lot of people are going to go into business and a lot of people are going to lose their livelihoods.”

Despite passing the law, members of the city council did state that they would be willing to review it and make changes if necessary.