As federal support is cut and public conservation efforts fall short in reaching rural Black farmers, one Black-led organization is creating new lifelines to protect historic legacies.
On Tuesday, March 4th, the General Government and Planning (GGP) Committee will hear an update on short-term rental regulation enforcement from Director of Revenue Wes Holbrook.
Short-term rental regulations were passed on July 11, 2023, and amended on December 5, 2024. These regulations set occupancy limits, density limits keeping a high number of STRs from clustering together, and requiring rentals to have an active license with the City. You can read more about the regulations here.
There are currently 979 short-term rentals listed in Lexington. 14 citations have been issued for the absence of a license, and there are an additional 78 properties that have received a first notice to come into compliance with the ordinance.
The city has received $4,750 from citations, with $7,000 in citation fines that that have not been paid.
Short-term rentals are required to annually renew their licenses by January 31 of every year. Due to the winter storms last month, renewal packets sent before the deadline were still being received by the Division of Revenue in February. The City has received $115,000 in renewal fees so far.
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Watch the meeting: The General Government and Planning (GGP) Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 4th at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in-person or watch live on LexTV.
Jemi Chew is a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in journalism with minors in Arabic and Islamic studies and public policy. She is passionate about rural and community journalism and proud to call Kentucky home.
