Ann Arbor City Council considering moratorium on short-term rentals

The Ann Arbor City Council passed a resolution to explore its own moratorium on short-term rentals, which could place a six-month pause on new short-term rental licenses. 

The council voted 7-1 to explore a pause on new short-term rental licenses amid concerns that unlicensed rentals are making long-term housing less available and affordable. It will allow the city attorney to draft a moratorium while the city administration studies the impact of short-term rentals in order to recommend any changes to the city's ordinance. 

This comes as several Southeast Michigan communities issued pauses on short-term rental licenses this year after violent incidents stemmed from parties hosted at them.

"These measures reflect growing concerns that unchecked STR expansion reduces the availability of long-term rental housing and increases challenges to housing affordability," said Ward 5 Ann Arbor City Councilmember Jenn Cornell.

Ward 1 Councilmember Lisa Disch, who voted against exploring a moratorium, said commercial rentals and those operated by individual homeowners need to be treated differently.

There are differences between the concerns that arise from principal residence STRs and those that arise from non-principal residence, also known as commercial STRs," said Disch.

Some community members oppose a moratorium due to the need for short-term rental options in Ann Arbor.

"I've welcomed families celebrating weddings, alumni returning home, parents visiting their college students, loved ones supporting family members at the University of Michigan hospital," said Alexandria James.

Others agreed that short-term rentals are making it tougher for people who want to live in Ann Arbor long-term.

"The problem is the many hundreds of units, kept permanently off the market for full-time housing so their owners can make more money through Airbnb," said Peter Eckstein.

"We need more housing fast, not a gameday getaway," said Sheila Rasouli.