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4. Louisville, Kentucky, tightens short-term rental rules

Maureen Salahshoor Denver, CO

September 29, 2023

Louisville, Kentucky, has amended its short-term rental (STR) ordinance, focusing on STRs in residential areas.

The new regulations require prospective STR hosts to live on a property for at least six months before applying for STR registration with the city. The amendments also increase the annual STR registration fee from $100 to $250 and limit the number of occupants per STR to 12 adults, among other rules. 

“What we are really trying to do is protect neighbors from investors who are coming in and buying up properties,” Councilman Ben Reno-Weber said. “So we’ve added some restrictions in residential zoning and tightened the restrictions for getting exceptions to the residential zoning, but basically, on your own property, you can have maximum freedom to do short-term rentals, if you live there.”

These amendments are in addition to the existing law, which was last updated in 2019. STRs that are already registered are exempt from the new amendments.

The regulations require non-owner-occupied STRs to be located at least 600 feet away from each other in residential areas. Formerly, potential STR owners were able to apply to the city to have the density requirement waived. Under the new rules, waivers aren’t allowed if two or more STRs with waivers are already located within 600 feet of each other, with some exceptions.  

Read on to learn more.