Addressing Safety at Short Term Rentals

Back during the time I was a member of city council, I chaired a 21-member committee to draft an ordinance addressing the problems with STRs. Committee included representatives from all interest groups. The product brought before city council was promptly rejected by my colleagues. Through this process the one area that really got my attention was the need for minimum safety requirements. Personally, I would rest a lot easier as an STR owner to know that I have some protection from possible lawsuits should a renter be severely injured or worse due to the lack of safety measures. I also wonder if the city might have some liability due to a lack of an ordinance requiring minimum safety measures. Should the referendum pass or even if it doesn’t, I recommend city council to at least address this issue. It might even help them to sleep better at night.