Newport City Council Workshop on Short-Term Rental Ordinance Changes – September 1, 2026

The Newport City Council held a workshop on September 1, 2026, to discuss potential ordinance changes regarding short-term rentals following Resolution 2025-88. Staff presented an overview of rental categories, registration data, enforcement efforts, parking variances, and proposed modifications. Public comments were heard from residents and business owners. No votes were taken; the workshop was informational and aimed at gathering input for future council action.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mitch Edwards (representing Rhode Island Short Term Rental Association and Newport Property Rights Association) expressed concern that requiring one parking space per bedroom in commercial zones would effectively eliminate new short-term rentals. He noted existing properties would be grandfathered but prospective owners could be impacted. He supported a survey to gather data on guest vehicle usage.
• Sarah Adams (owner of 9 Goodwin Street) objected to the parking requirement disparity between short-term and long-term rentals, stating her property has driveway space not counted under current rules. She argued that short-term rentals represent less than 2% of housing stock and that proposed changes would unfairly segregate streets and harm property values. She suggested differentiating between whole-house and room rentals at registration.
• Shane Cooper (Barrington resident, frequent visitor) argued that the root issue is inadequate parking, not short-term rentals themselves. He urged the council to focus on creating more parking infrastructure (e.g., expanding Mary Street lot) rather than restricting rentals. He noted that tourism is vital to the city and that parking shortages cause congestion.
• Olivia Nagel (553 Bellevue Avenue) questioned the discrepancy between 993 Airbnb advertisements and only 404 registered short-term rentals, clarifying that multiple ads per property and timeshare listings skew the numbers. She advocated for scaling registration fees (currently $1,000 for both a single guest house and a large hotel) and increasing penalties for repeat offenders.
• Martin Fisk (owner at 8 Franklin Street) expressed uncertainty about grandfathering provisions—whether continuous registration is required and if rights transfer to new owners. He called for segmentation of registration fees based on business scale, questioned where the $1.5 million in collected fees has been spent, and raised the issue of “zombie houses” (wealthy owners leaving properties vacant for months) as a housing stock concern.
• Lynn Sanzo (Spring Street resident) reported parking issues from short-term rental guests who leave cars for days with hang tags, impacting residents. She praised enforcement efforts but underscored that insufficient parking in neighborhoods bordering commercial districts is a long-standing problem.
• Emily Hawley (119 Ruggles, registered voter) shared the story of an 83-year-old resident on John Street who cannot park near her home due to short-term rental vehicles, urging the council to prioritize resident needs.
• Linda Stevenson (Dixon Street) supported stricter enforcement and scaling fees. She noted that short-term rentals generate trash, safety concerns, and loss of housing; she cited a murder near her home five years ago and conversions of commercial spaces (e.g., dry cleaner) into rentals. She advocated banning short-term rentals in limited business zones to preserve neighborhood fabric.
• Linda Pereira (3 Goodwin Street, registered voter and property owner) testified that she rents her home to supplement income, that most guests are families attending weddings, and that parking issues are mainly caused by Salve Regina University students, not short-term guests. She called the focus on short-term rentals “discrimination” and urged a holistic parking solution.
• Karen Pinelli (39 Toro Street) operates two short-term rentals in her building with on-site parking. She noted that many guests arrive without cars and that long-term rentals could generate more vehicles per unit. She opposed restrictions that would prevent her from converting her primary residence into a rental or that would limit her ability to sell the property with the same rights.
• Casey Horton (Goodwin Street, Boston resident) cautioned against using weak data to justify restrictive ordinances, arguing that observed increases in short-term listings may reflect tech adoption rather than housing conversion. He urged the council to focus on zoning reform that permits multifamily housing as-of-right to address the housing crisis, rather than attacking short-term rentals. (Shortened due to time; council acknowledged receipt of his written comments.)

Discussion Items

• Staff Presentation: Nick Armor (Zoning Officer) and Drew Estebrook (Short-Term Rental Supervisor) presented an overview of rental types (long-term, seasonal, short-term categories), current zoning rules, registration data (404 total registered properties in 2026: 62 hotels, 8 timeshare properties, 240 guest houses, 94 home occupations), fee collections (from $269,000 in 2022 to $365,500 in 2026 to date), and enforcement statistics (84 citations in 2025, 41 in 2026 to date). They explained that parking variances for short-term rentals often require lease parking within half a mile, but the city does not monitor compliance. Proposed ordinance changes include: moving guest houses from by-right to special use permit in general business and waterfront business zones, requiring on-site parking for all bedrooms (eliminating parking credits and the ability to seek variances), and prohibiting conversion of ground-floor commercial space to guest house or manager units. Staff also raised the idea of scaling registration fees and improving enforcement (e.g., using default judgments and liens for non-payment).
• Council Questions: Council members inquired about the discrepancy between state and local registration numbers (626 state vs. 397 city), the impact of uncounted long-term rentals and timeshares, the effectiveness of off-site parking leases, and the process for defaulting no-shows in municipal court. The city solicitor clarified that bench warrants are issued but that fines are limited to $1,000 under state law. Council also discussed the prohibition of owner-occupied short-term rentals in residential zones and the need for better enforcement coordination with the parking authority.
• Parking & Compliance: Council expressed concern that short-term rental guests often park on residential streets despite lease agreements, and that the city lacks a monitoring system. The deputy city manager noted ongoing discussions with the parking superintendent to address double-dipping in commercial lots. Council suggested a survey of short-term rental operators to determine actual vehicle usage per rental.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or ordinance adoptions occurred; the workshop was for discussion and education.
• Council directed staff to consider several potential actions:
  • Study the feasibility of scaling registration fees based on property size or rental type.
  • Explore improvements to enforcement, including stronger penalties for repeat offenders and mechanisms for default judgments or liens.
  • Investigate the impact of short-term rentals on parking and housing availability, potentially through a survey of operators and guests.
  • Review the proposed ordinance changes (banning parking credits, requiring on-site parking, special use permit requirement) for possible future introduction.
  • Coordinate with the parking authority to ensure that off-site leased parking is not double-counted and that guest parking passes are not issued to short-term rental properties.
• Council members expressed varying positions: some supported tightening regulations (especially in limited business zones), while others emphasized the need for data-driven decisions and cautioned against harming existing businesses.
• The workshop concluded with thanks to staff and participants; further council discussions are expected before any ordinance amendments are brought to a vote.