Short-term Rentals

The Urban County Council on July 11, 2023 gave final approval to a new ordinance regulating short-term rentals.

Now that owners of un-hosted short-term rentals are required to register with the city, we know there are 15 such units at 10 addresses within our neighborhood, plus at least four other units immediately adjacent. Click here to see a Google map with information from the city’s website about ownership and management of these units. Click here to download a list.

Mentelle was one of the first neighborhood associations in the city to welcome renters and businesses as association members. The board also has no problem with hosted short-term rentals, where a property owner is living on the property where the rental unit is located. But the board is concerned that having any more un-hosted short-term rentals will degrade the quality of neighborhood life and inflate property values and rental rates for full-time residents.

This page is intended to give Mentelle neighborhood residents more information about this issue.

Here is the city’s website page explaining rules and regulations for short-term rentals in Lexington.

Here is a link to contact information for Urban County Council members. Our district council member, Mentelle neighborhood resident Hannah LeGris, can be reached here. Mayor Linda Gorton can be reached here. If you want to give feedback to the Mentelle Neighborhood Association board, you may email President Tom Eblen here.

By point of comparison, here are Louisville’s short-term rental laws and regulations.