Short Term Rental Issues

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah. July 1, 2020. Short term rentals approvals need to include more service providers in the application process, Mitch Poulsen, Bear Lake Regional Council, told County Commissioners.   It may be necessary to adjust the ordinance, changing the formula for occupants and include the Sheriff and sewer and water representatives in the application. 

Commissioner Norm Weston said that short term rentals impact those entities.  “We are using more water for example, and having more garbage removal issues,” he said.  

Poulsen said that they are monitoring the water usage.  Over weekends and holidays there are spikes in usage but use seems to average out over the year. 

Commissioner Sim Weston said. “You either put a moratorium on short term rentals or let it go.” 

Norm Weston replied that in the last two years there have been no big problems with short term rentals excepting for the increased use in services.

Poulsen said he has had few complaints, but the new software program now is routed to a call center that people can call if they have complaints. 

Norm Weston said that the Sewer District has recognized the additional stress, and adjusted the cost of sewer services.

George Peart, building inspector, said that short term rentals should all be on conditional use permits.  Because  of the increase in the county sanitation fee, short term owners have  changed their occupancy limits so that there are fewer people in the rentals.

Norm Weston said that these short term rentals should be designed for commercial rental instead of being classified as private homes, but to get cheaper loans and easier permitting, people build these rentals as private homes with multiple bedrooms and baths, some have as many as 18 bedrooms and adjoining baths which means they are small hotels.

Peart told commissioners that it is difficult to do that with the ordinances they have.   Garden City has added a provision that if a home is 6500 sq. ft. the builders have to add fire sprinkling to the home so that when it is changed to a short term rental it will at least have fire protection.

People are building hotels but calling them single family residence, he said, and the County feels it does not have enough input from the service providers.

There are more and more short term rentals being built, and for example it may be that Garden City is growing faster than the water supply and sewer capacity.  Peart said that the  service districts are fully aware of the problems as are the HOA.