Roselle imposes new restrictions on short-term rentals

Roselle will impose new restrictions on short-term rentals in the village, including limiting the number of days someone can rent a property.

After nearly four months of discussion, the village board on Monday night unanimously approved an ordinance outlining the restrictions. The changes take effect immediately.

"I just want to make it clear that prior to us doing any of this, basically it was unregulated," Trustee Lee Trejo said.

Roselle's definition of a short-term rental is an owner-occupied single-family residential home, including townhouses, condominiums and row houses.

As part of the ordinance, owners renting out their spaces will need to have title to the property, either be registered to vote at the address they are renting or be where the property owners pay all property taxes, and register with the village zoning administrator for a 12-month period to rent out their homes.

The rental period is no less than three days and cannot exceed 30 days. Consecutive short-term rental leases to the same renters within a six-month period are prohibited, and renting groups are limited to a maximum of 10 people.

Guests are only permitted to park on a short-term rental property, except where on-street parking is lawfully available.

Owners and renters violating the ordinance can face fines ranging from $70 to $1,000, with additional penalties toward homeowners where more than two police officers are called to resolve a situation.

The issue of short-term rentals began on June 27, one day after a shooting in the village at Picton Road that killed one and left six others injured. The investigation is ongoing.

Trustee Wayne Domke acknowledges the village lacks the authority to completely ban short-term rentals because it's not a home rule community. Village officials are planning to put a home rule question on the April ballot.

"We can't stop someone from going on Airbnb and renting their house out, but by putting this ordinance in place, at least we have some sort of control," Trustee Bruce Berkshire said. "We can put more structure around it."