Feb. 17—Madison County’s first restrictions for AirBnB’s were passed in the Richmond City Commission workshop meeting after bringing it to a second reading where they voted to amend the ordinance to get rid of the permit fee of $50.

“We feel like [the fee] is kind of a duplication of the $50 fee for the business license,” Minerich said in the January 23 meeting.

With ordinance 24-02’s passage, here’s a reminder of some of the things it involves:

Annual permitting of AirBnB and short-term rentals.

A regulatory fee they must have a business license and be on the roles paying the transient property taxes.

Putting in place numerous safety measures so that they are compliant with all fire codes.

Properties having appropriate emergency exits.

No more than two people per bedroom among other things.

“Fines are authorized under this at the final section of this [ordinance]. If fines go unpaid, those fines would be levied against the property and a lien would be filed on the property,” City Attorney Tyler Frazier said during the meeting on Thursday.

Fines will range from $100 to $500.

Commissioner Tammy Cole mentioned that people did call to ask if this would affect the way apartments operate, to which Richmond city manager Rob Minerich said that it is only going to affect rentals that are 30 days or less.

As has been covered by the Register, this issue has been a hot topic in Richmond and beyond as Madison County Fiscal Court chose to ‘monitor’ the issue on Tuesday.

Many eyes have been watching what the city will do for their short term rental ordinance, from those in fiscal court to Madison County residents who live outside of Richmond and Berea’s city limits.

“Last February, there was a wreck at the bottom of the hill where vehicles had to be towed out,” resident Stephanie Adkins said during the Dec. 19 Madison County Fiscal Court meeting, which is close to her home in the 2200 block of Kentucky River Road.

Judge Executive Reagan Taylor said to Adkins during Fiscal Court on February 13 that the county has decided to monitor the situation.

“If it becomes a true countywide problem, then I think the Fiscal Court would open to suggestions on how to fix it,” Taylor said during the meeting.

Other counties, like Fayette County, which includes the city of Lexington, and Scott County, which includes Georgetown, have put laws on the books. Scott County put theirs on the book in 2022 and Fayette last July.

Cities like Louisville along with their counties (Jefferson Co. for Louisville) also have have laws on the books for AirBnB.

You can watch replays of City Commission on the CIty of Richmond’s YouTube channel and replays of Fiscal Court on the Madison County, KY Facebook page.

The full text of the Richmond’s ordinance on AirBnBs can be found on the city’s website.