Overview

• The City Council’s License and Consumer Protection Committee unanimously approved a transparency ordinance requiring vacation rental platforms to share detailed property and management data with the city.
• The ordinance, introduced by Ald. Bennett Lawson, mandates quarterly updates to a publicly accessible database with information such as addresses, host contact details, occupancy limits, fees, and disciplinary history.
• The measure aims to proactively manage public safety concerns, including rowdy parties and incidents like two recent shootings in Wrigleyville vacation rentals.
• Lawson highlighted the impact of short-term rentals on housing availability, noting that his ward alone has around 235 units that could otherwise serve long-term residents.
• If passed by the full City Council next week, the ordinance would enhance enforcement of existing regulations and support transparency before the busy summer rental season.