Future of Short-Term Rentals in Brainerd Still Up in the Air

The Brainerd City Council has voted 4-3 against holding a joint workshop with the Planning Commission for the short-term rental ordinance. This comes after voting against the last proposed ordinance at the Feb. 20 city council meeting.

The proposed ordinance would set caps on the number of short-term rentals that could be allowed in the city, as well as set a cap on how many a property owner could have. The Planning Commission has concerns about an unlimited number of short-term rentals based on the fact that downtown Brainerd provides a good number of workforce housing units.

“Now, if I’m a property owner, I’m filling out short-term rental forms as fast as I can get the ink to dry,” said Brainerd City Council President Kelly Bevans. “That’s probably the bigger issue, is that we may get a bonanza of applications for short-term rentals, not because they want to have short-term rentals, but because there’s no regulation.”

As of now, a property owner must apply for and receive an Interim Use Permit and Rental License to operate a short-term rental. There are no caps as to how many a property owner could own.