Anyone wanting to offer short-term rentals – commonly known as Airbnbs – in Springdale must follow the rules set by the city council on Tuesday evening.

“There is no ordinance yet for this type of property,” said Councilman Dan Copeland. “It would give us some insight into what is going on on these properties.”

According to the regulation, a short-term rental is defined as a residential rental that is rented for less than 30 days.

Prior to opening, a permit must be issued by the Springdale Building Inspector and the property owner’s contact information must be on file with the official. If the property owner lives more than 15 miles from the short-term rental, the contact information of a local person must be on file. Residents must be of legal age and provide their contact information to the property owner.

Before a permit is issued, the building superintendent must inspect the property. The permit is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was issued. Owners can renew it by submitting a new application every two years on or before December 15.

Short-term rentals must have at least one off-street parking space for each bedroom. The maximum number of vehicles allowed at short-term rentals is limited to the number of available off-street parking spaces available on the same property as the rental.

For a short-term rental, the maximum number of people allowed to stay per bedroom is two, or eight, whichever is less. The maximum number of guests allowed at any one time during the day must be 75% of the maximum overnight occupancy of the rental property, in addition to overnight guests.

If the building manager denies a short-term rental, he or she will send the owner a written notice and the reasons for the denial. Permits can be revoked by the building manager if the information in the application is incorrect or if a violation has occurred three or more times since the permit was issued. Owners can appeal to the town council if a permit is revoked or denied.

It’s unclear how many Airbnbs there are in Springdale. Copeland, the volunteer fire department captain, said many emergency calls come from rental properties and the ordinance is a proactive measure.

Council President Mike Ziencik said county officials considered the ordinance because Airbnbs are becoming more common in the area. The Freeport Council will consider an ordinance on short-term rental regulations at a Sept. 9 meeting. The Aspinwall Council passed rules on short-term rentals in December.