BOISE, Idaho — A bill aimed at offering more protections to Idaho homeowners who rent their properties on sites like Airbnb is moving forward inside the Statehouse.
Senate Bill 1162aims to give local governments a hand in regulating and operating short-term rental properties.
"This legislation protects personal property rights, which is fundamental. It strikes a good balance between local control and property rights, and I don’t think there are any safety concerns, which were brought up, but I don’t think there are any real safety concerns. They can already do that on a local jurisdiction level," said (R) Representative and bill sponsor Jordan Redman.
The legislation says that short-term rentals, like Airbnb properties, should be treated the same as regular homes when it comes to local rules, meaning local governments can’t create stricter regulations just for rentals.
Melissa Radford has offered a short-term rental in Coeur d’Alene since 2021. She says those who oppose the bill presented false talking points, leading to a false belief.
"We adore visitors to Idaho. We care so deeply about their safety. We go above and beyond to protect that safety. The accusation that short-term rental owners would be doing things that are statistically unsafe for guests or for our neighbors is just flat-out untrue," said Radford
Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm says this bill takes away decision-making from the local community. He says people should trust local officials to do the job they were elected to do.
Mayor Grimm said, "I strongly oppose Senate Bill 1162 because it strips local communities of the ability to regulate short-term rentals in a way that best serves our residents and businesses."
Ketchum City Administrator Jade Riley is also opposed to the bill, saying it is unnecessary and tramples on the rights of local property owners.
"This proposed legislation significantly reduces the public safety elements as outlined on page 2, lines 34 through 43," said Riley.
Lines 34 to 43 list safety requirements that the owner or operator of the rental must share with potential renters before they agree to rent the property, like working smoke alarms, a fire extinguisher on every floor, and a first aid kit.
The committee ultimately sent the bill to the 14th Order for amendments, but the legislature could be short on time to receive full consideration.
