EUREKA SPRINGS, Mo. (KY3) – An Arkansas House committee recently passed a bill to stop cities in the state from regulating short-term rentals. The House of Representatives will be the next to hear about the legislation.
Government leaders are not happy about this bill. Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry said it could take away local control from the community.
“We have a problem with the housing market as it is without somebody coming in from out of state-buying up these places and then renting them out for outrageous amounts on a nightly basis,” Mayor Berry said.
Arkansas cities such as Fayetteville, Hot Springs, and Eureka Springs currently have the right to regulate short-term rentals.
“When you have an out-of-state manager, there’s nobody to complain to locally when you have a problem next door,” Berry said.
He also said he understands that if the bill becomes a law, it could generate money for the state but not necessarily benefit the city.
“We’re only getting about three or four percent of the tax revenue back to the city,” he said.
You can read about HB 1445 on the state’s website.
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