The Summit County Council agreed that more work is needed to address short-term rentals, but only one elected official voiced support for a moratorium on nightly rental licenses during Wednesday’s public hearing.
For nearly three hours, representatives from the real estate industry and those living in neighborhoods discussed the implications of a moratorium, though each group differed in its backing of the measure. The County Council opted to continue issuing nightly rental licenses following the discussion, leaving Roger Armstrong as the lone member in favor of a stoppage.
Around 125 people participated in the hearing, with around 56 attending via Zoom. Many of the speakers identified themselves as real estate professionals or property managers and opposed a moratorium because of how it would affect property rights or business dealings. Some homeowners, particularly those in Summit Park, said they were in favor of the measure and spoke of their experiences living close to short-term rentals.
Jamie Johnson, the CEO of the Park City Board of Realtors, said more than 270 emails were sent to the County Council in opposition to a moratorium. The Board of Realtors wants to work with elected officials on housing issues, but the current data doesn’t justify an ordinance, which would hurt the real estate industry, she said. She added the move seems to be coming from desperation and the best way to address the problem is through regulation.
Brad Iverson of Canyons Village Rentals agreed. He spoke of the industry’s rapid expansion because of short-term rentals and said if the County Council adopted a moratorium, his business would be at a “complete standstill.” As a result, its growth would stop and a hiring freeze would likely occur. Iverson isn’t opposed to improving the regulation of nightly rentals but doesn’t support the stoppage of licenses, he said.
Rachel Alday, who runs a luxury rental company in the Park City area and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, asked elected officials to take their time when considering the issue. She questioned whether homes being used as short-term rentals would actually be utilized for long-term housing, which was a point raised in previous discussions. Alday said it’s unlikely a $2 million home would be rented to a family or member of the workforce for $1,000 a month if it couldn’t be rented on a nightly basis. She suggested that elected officials find a way to earn revenue from vacation rentals and use the funds to address affordable housing.
Megan McKenna, a teacher at Park City High School, was in favor of a moratorium. Most of her family has been “priced out” of Park City because of the cost of housing, she said, but she’s lucky enough to live in an affordable housing unit. McKenna advocated for creating more long-term housing. After finishing her basement, she listed the 400-square-foot space for rent online. Within 20 minutes, she said, she had to remove the listing because of the intense demand.
“I listened to a family of four pleading on the phone if they could take it. These are students, a mother and three students in our school district that were desperately looking for housing. And this is what we’re pushing out when we allow for more nightly rentals,” McKenna said. “I think we have enough nightly rentals for our tourists.”
Summit Park resident Joni Wirts also supported a moratorium. She said when her family bought their home, they were told no nightly rentals were allowed in the neighborhood. Within the first week, she realized she was surrounded by homes being rented out by owners living out of state. She said ongoing issues like noise, trash and speeding been a “nightmare” to deal with.
Christian Augustus, also a resident of Summit Park, agreed. He said the timing of the moratorium is perfect as it gives the County Council time to consider ways to fix the issue before applications for nightly licenses are due in January. He recognized the importance of short-term rentals to the resort community but said they do not belong in neighborhoods.
County Council members, other than Armstrong, members agreed a moratorium may not fix the short-term rental crisis. County Councilor Malena Stevens said the county wants to incentivize people for following the proper procedures, like obtaining a nightly rental license, and not encourage unlicensed units by stopping the process.
Elected officials agreed that more work is needed to improve short-term rental regulations and create a well-thought-out enforcement process. They asked County Manager Tom Fisher to prioritize the topic in the county’s work plan and create a team to tackle the issue. County Clerk Eve Furse said her office has received around 100 applications for nightly rental licenses since a moratorium was first proposed on May 11.