updated 6.08.2020
Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many states and provinces like California have issued Executive Orders to return home and shelter in place. Florida just issued a state-wide order to cancel all short term rental and hotel stays to contain the spread. Quebec has issued a similar provincial order. Many municipalities have also issued notices restricting short term rental bookings in their jurisdiction to a very narrow category of uses. The restrictions only allow for certain essential workers, homeless sheltering, or owner-occupation until the stay-at-home order is lifted. Some guests appear to be quarantining in place at the short term rental they are stuck in. It appears the some STRs are being used as a 30+ day long term rental as a form of shelter. The goal of the travel restriction is simple: to maintain physical and social distancing of people to prevent the spread of this highly infectious disease and prevent more tragic deaths.
List of States/Provinces Banning Short-Term Rentals amid COVID-19*
| State | Source | Ban Start Date | Ban Lifted Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | CT | 2020-06-17 | |
| Delaware | DE | 2020-06-01 | |
| Florida | FL | 2020-05-04 | |
| Georgia | GA | 2020-04-03 | 2020-04-30 |
| Maine | ME | 2020-06-26 | |
| Massachusetts | MA | 2020-03-31 | 2020-06-08 |
| Michigan | link | 2020-04-24 | 2020-05-15 |
| New Hampshire | NH | 2020-06-05 | |
| New Jersey | NJ | ||
| South Carolina | SC | 2020-05-01 | |
| Vermont | VT | 2020-06-08 | |
| Ontario | ON | 2020-04-03 | 2020-06-05 |
| Pennsylvania | PA | 2020-06-12 | |
| Quebec | QC | 2020-06-25 | |
| New South Wales, Australia | NSW, Australia | 2020-06-01 |
List of Cities and Counties Banning Short-Term Rentals amid COVID-19*
| City | County | State | Source | Ban Lift Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte County | CA | Link | ||
| South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County | El Dorado County | CA | Link | 2020-06-12 |
| Humboldt County | CA | Link | ||
| Marin County | CA | Link | ||
| Mono County | CA | Link | ||
| Monterey County | CA | link | 2020-05-03 link | |
| Newport Beach | Orange County | CA | Link | 2020-05-20 |
| Truckee | Nevada County | CA | Link | |
| Placer County | CA | Link | ||
| Riverside County | CA | Link | 2020-05-29 | |
| San Bernardino County | CA | Link | ||
| Clear Creek County | CO | link | 2020-04-25 | |
| Grand County | CO | Link | 2020-05-21 link | |
| Wheat Ridge | Jefferson County | CO | Link | 2020-06-01 |
| Ouray County | CO | link | 2020-05-16 | |
| Pitkin County | CO | Link | 2020-05-27 | |
| Summit County | CO | Link | 2020-06-05 | |
| North Miami Beach | Miami-Dade County | FL | Link | |
| Glynn County | GA | Link | 2020-05-01 | |
| Maui County | HI | Link | ||
| Portland | Cumberland County | ME | Link | 2020-05-18 link |
| Petoskey | Emmet County | MI | Link | 2020-06-03 |
| New Buffalo, South Haven, Three Oaks, Chikaming | MI | Link | ||
| Michigan City | IN | Link | ||
| Traverse City | Traverse County | MI | Link | 2020-06-02 |
| Sugar Mountain | Avery County | NC | link | 2020-05-08 |
| Ocean Isle Beach | Brunswick County | NC | Link | 2020-04-30 |
| Buncombe County | NC | Link | 2020-05-07 | |
| Atlantic Beach | Carteret County | NC | Link | 2020-05-08 |
| Emerald Isle | Carteret County | NC | Link | 2020-05-08 link |
| Haywood County | NC | Link | 2020-05-05 | |
| Carolina Beach | New Hanover County | NC | Link | 2020-05-08 |
| Kure Beach | New Hanover County | NC | Link | 2020-05-15 |
| Watauga County | NC | Link | 2020-05-22 | |
| Wilkes County | NC | Link | 2020-05-22 | |
| Cape May County | NJ | Link | 2020-06-01 | |
| Atlantic City | Atlantic County | NJ | Link | 2020-05-29 |
| Brick Township | Ocean County | NJ | Link | |
| Long Beach Township | Ocean County | NJ | Link | 2020-05-15 link |
| Seaside Heights Borough | Ocean County | NJ | Link | 2020-06-01 |
| Douglas County | NV | Link | ||
| Niagara-on-the-Lake | ON | Link | 2020-06-08 | |
| Deschutes County | OR | Link | 2020-05-15 | |
| Clatsop County | OR | Link | 2020-06-05 | |
| Hood River | Hood River County | OR | Link | |
| Lincoln County | OR | Link | 2020-05-31 link | |
| Hilton Head Island | Beaufort County | SC | Link | 2020-05-01 |
| Edisto Beach | Colleton County | SC | link | 2020-05-15 |
| Georgetown County | SC | Link | 2020-05-01 | |
| North Myrtle Beach | Horry County | SC | Link | 2020-05-01 |
| Surfside Beach | Horry County | SC | Link | 2020-05-01 |
| Unincorporated | Horry County | SC | Link | 2020-05-01 |
| Coppell | Dallas County | TX | Link | |
| Galveston | Galveston County | TX | Link | 2020-04-30 |
| South Padre Island | Cameron County | TX | link | 2020-04-25 |
| Port Isabel | Cameron County | TX | Link | |
| Page County | VA | Link |
*Common exemptions to these orders and guidances include allowing short term rentals for (a) essential workers staying to fight COVID-19 (b) shelters for homeless from COVID-19 (c) property owners sheltering from COVID-19 (d) individuals that may be escaping domestic violence. Please check specifically with your jurisdiction before making a decision.
We are happy to assist all municipalities in spreading the word via our free e-blast service to all known STR operators to notify them of state and local restrictions and updates. Contact us to setup the e-blast. Please also use the below media contacts for the STR platforms to notify them of these orders and to help comply:
- Airbnb Chief Ethics Officer – Rob Chesnut – https://twitter.com/ChesnutRob
- Expedia President, Platforms & Marketplaces – John Kim – https://twitter.com/jkimla
- Tripadvisor CEO – Flip Kaufer – https://twitter.com/kaufer
- Booking.com CEO – Glenn Fogel – https://twitter.com/bookingholdings
Responsible Renting during COVID-19 Restrictions
Rent Responsibly has setup a resources page for STR operators that are operating legally within these restrictions. It contains useful resources such as cleaning tips, health and safety, community support and engagement and more.
Short Term Rentals possibly violating Ban Orders
However, that has not stopped zealous travelers from trying to find ways to circumvent these restrictions and thus recklessly putting all lives in unnecessary risk. In fact, some of the tourism may be opportunistic to access beaches, parks or mountains unencumbered by the usual crowds. Harmari has found thousands of reviews on short term rental websites in which many guest trips have been cancelled or shortened due to COVID-19 restrictions placed on beaches, resorts, parks, and hotels. Harmari has also found evidence that short term rentals are still being rented out to guests in spite of the above bans. Here are some examples:
- San Bernardino County – 1262 short-term rental listings were found still renting out, despite the COVID-19 stay home orders
- Honolulu County – 1793 listings
- La Quinta – 609 listings
- Placer County – 595 listings
Harmari STR is offering its services to flag these listings for code compliance officers, tasked with enforcing the laws of the City and County for free. Our goal is to ensure the health and well-being of all travelers, STR operators and the general public to mitigate and eliminate risk of spread of this terrible virus. Please contact us for more information on how to obtain the list of STRs in potential violation of the COVID-19 stay-in-place orders.