West Chicago to regulate short-term vacation home rentals

West Chicago has become the latest city to place restrictions on short-term vacation home rentals through services like Airbnb or VRBO.

The city council voted 9-3 on Monday to set up regulations for one year.

The new rules state that single-family homeowners are required to live in their residence at least 183 days each year. They would also need to go through an annual registration and inspection process.

To discourage one-night parties, there is a three-night minimum rental. Meanwhile, a maximum stay of 30 days was established to discourage homes from becoming permanent rentals.

A special-use permit would be required for individually owned duplexes and townhouses for short-term rentals out of courtesy to neighbors. And rentals would not be permitted at all in condominiums or apartments.

Previously, West Chicago had no codes regulating Airbnb or VRBO rentals. But the city was prodded to address the issue following a deadly shooting last year at an Airbnb rental home in Barrington Hills.

"In light of some of the difficulties that have occurred at these short-term rental properties, I think it's incumbent upon us to be on the leading edge of making sure that our community's residents are protected," Ward 1 Alderman Lori Chassee said. "From a public safety and quality-of-life perspective, I would like to see us go ahead and enact this ordinance."

Ward 7 Alderman John Jakabcsin pointed out that other suburban towns were also adding restrictions, and that it would be beneficial for area residents and police to know which properties are being rented.

By contrast, Aldermen Matt Garling, Heather Brown and Alton Hallett found most of the restrictions to be too harsh on homeowners seeking ways to bring in extra rental income. Citing the narrow 4-3 vote from the plan commission/zoning board of appeals on the rental restrictions, they sought to table the ordinance so it could be reworked.

When the vote to table failed 5-7, Ward 1 Alderman James Beifuss proposed a one-year amendment to be added to the proposed ordinance. That way the restrictions could be re-evaluated by the plan commission if they proved to be too onerous or unworkable.

"The ordinance is fairly strict," Beifuss said. "But if you start off being somewhat more restrictive, you can be less restrictive later on."