On Thursday, May 24, the New Orleans City Council voted unanimously to temporarily suspend the issuance or renewal of “Temporary” Short Term Rental permits for 9 months. This suspension, introduced by Councilmember Kristin Palmer, only affects whole-house rentals in residential neighborhoods. Homeowners with a homestead exemption who rent out a spare room in their houses or rent out half of their double will still be able to do so. “Commercial” permits for Short Term Rentals in Commercially-zoned areas were removed from the proposed ban, except for on the first floor of multi-story buildings with residential units on the upper floors.
We thank our City Councilmembers and all of you who voiced your concerns to your Councilmembers. With your input, City Council moved forward with this legislation to reform Short Term Rentals in New Orleans.
The Preservation Resource Center remains in opposition to non-owner occupied whole-house rentals in our residential neighborhoods and supports sensible measures to limit the negative impacts of Short Term Rental proliferation across the city.
We commend the City Council for taking this first step in Short Term Rental reform, and we look forward to working closely with our Councilmembers and City Planning Commission to help craft legislation that benefits our city’s residents and neighborhoods.
