Minnehaha County Commission moves to regulate short-term rentals

'Modernization' push criticized as government overreach

A divided Minnehaha County Commission on Tuesday approved an ordinance requiring homeowners to obtain conditional use permits in order to rent their homes on the short-term rental market.

The ordinance would apply to virtually all homeowners in unincorporated Minnehaha County who use popular short-term services, such as Airbnb, Vrbo and others, to rent their homes.

The 3-2 vote reflected a divide on the issue. Commissioners Joe Kippley, Jean Bender and Gerald Beninga reflected the line that the county’s 1980s-era ordinance regulating bed and breakfasts was not reflective of the short-term rental market. Kippley called the new ordinance a modernization of the B&B ordinance, which was first put in place in 1983.

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