The Fayette County Commission is poised to adopt new regulations for tourist accommodations Thursday night, a response to pleas for help from a northwest Fayette neighborhood who had problems with a neighbor who has rented his home to large groups.
The new ordinance requires that each homeowner wishing to rent their home procure required permits, including those for food service, and each operator will be required to maintain a record of the party renting the facility. Each operator will also have to meet various health, sanitation and safety standards, and the various records may be reviewed by specified county officers listed in the ordinance as well.
The county health department and the fire marshal will set the maximum capacity of the home to be rented, and each business owner must undergo a criminal background check along with a host of other restrictions, prior to being granted a license from the county.
Each rental unit must also provide a three percent hotel tax to be remitted back to the county.
The ordinance covers “bed and breakfast” rentals along with individual rentals of either part or an entire home in a residential area.
The ordinance restricts all parking at each location to be limited to no more than one vehicle for each 2 overnight guests, and one motorcycle per overnight guest. It also forbids any commercial vehicles over 8,000 pounds and more than two axles in any residentially-zoned neighborhood.
Ordinance violators would be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 60 days in jail.
