MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU) -- City leaders in Marshfield want to take a new look at the policies regulating Airbnb operations in the city that offer lodging to visitors in private homes.
City Administrator Steve Barg says the rising popularity of Airbnbs does raise a number of questions about how they're regulated regarding zoning, taxes, and safety.
"The older zoning codes and ones that haven't been fully updated to the way they should be don't talk about Airbnbs," Barg said. "So I think it's a good thing that we're looking at this right now."
New regulations wouldn't be implemented just to put limits on Airbnbs, Barg says, and they could actually help facilitate the creation of even more Airbnbs by streamlining the current permitting process.
"Right now we're telling the average homeowner that you really can't run an Airbnb unless you live along highways or other areas of the community that would support commercial and other types of uses."
And Mayor Bob McManus said there's also a fairness issue for local hotels and motels, because they have to pay room taxes in order to operate.
"Of course the hotels are concerned because they want to make sure that folks that are renting out their home are paying the same room tax a hotelier would pay," McManus said.
City leaders say they will now be taking a look at ordinances in other cities to help develop the new policy for Marshfield.
