The Covington City Commission voted to postpone a scheduled increase of short-term rental licensure fees at their meeting Tuesday night.
The change was originally scheduled to occur on Nov. 1, following the passage of a new ordinance regulating the operation of short-term rentals, often referred to as Airbnbs, after the online service where such rentals are frequently advertised, in June. The increase will be postponed “until further notice,” the city clerk said.
This means that license fees will remain $30 each indefinitely. The scheduled increase would have brought the fee up to $500, but it would have done away with the application fee for a conditional zoning permit from the city’s architectural review board, which costs $600. Applicants must pay both the $30 and $600 fees until the postponement ends.
At the caucus meeting on Oct. 17, City Manager Ken Smith stated that the postponement occurred due to delays in revisions to the zoning regulations necessary for enacting June’s ordinance. The postponement will be in effect until Kenton County’s Planning and Development Services can sign off on the new zoning regulations. No specific timelines or dates were discussed at the meetings.
Read the city’s full short-term rental ordinance here.
The next two meetings of the Covington Board of Commissioners will be canceled as they overlap with Halloween and Election Day, respectively. The commission will meet again on Tuesday, Nov. 14.