City Councilmember Hassan Amad (left), Chair Mo Baydoun and Councilmember Hassan Saab listen to input about short-term rental regulation in the city during the Aug. 12 council meeting.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS – City Council members laid the groundwork for new short-term rental regulations when they held a second reading for a proposed ordinance during the Aug. 12 council meeting.
The body held a study session Aug. 19, and while a third reading of the proposed changes were not on the Aug. 26 council agenda, the council will likely revisit the issue soon.
The proposed ordinance will levy fines for operating a short-term rental in the city as well as advertising its availability.
Corporate Counsel Roger Farinha said he was opposed to the language of the proposed regulation, which was drafted by attorney Gary Miotke at the behest of the council.
Councilmember Hassan Ahmad said a letter should be sent to all non-homestead residences in the city that are not rental properties.
A homestead property refers to a primary residence.
Council Chair Mo Baydoun said that when a house is subject to new documentation, like obtaining a certificate of occupancy when someone buys a house for a primary residence or for a long-term rental, they should receive information indicating that short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo are not permitted in the city, and the property owner should sign a document acknowledging that they will not allow the property to be used as a short-term rental.
“As long as they are buying this property, they are acknowledging that they could potentially be fined if they have any STRs in the city of Dearborn Heights,” he said. “That should be across all of our documentation in the city of Dearborn Heights.”
Baydoun said enforcement will be subject to a learning curve as the ordinance goes into effect.
He said everyone who has a rental property in the city will be informed once the council passes any new STR regulations.
Baydoun said Dearborn Heights would not be allowing short-term rentals in multi-family downtown zoning areas similar to those recently adopted by Dearborn because it does not have the same type circumstances to accommodate STRs.
Councilmember Hassan Saab voted against the ordinance because he did not think it went far enough.
He said fines are important, but he believes that enforcement in the proposal is not clearly defined.
Saab said there should be a team of employees within the city charged with enforcement.