City Council Members Could Soon Have Blanket Power to Ban Airbnb from their Wards

Alderman Anthony Napolitano, 41st, introduced an ordinance that would give the local alderman the ability to ban short-term rentals on a precinct level in their own ward. The ordinance was approved in committee on June 11, 2024, and just this week, on June 18, 2024, the final vote was delayed at the City Council.

The proposed ordinance would allow residents to overturn their alderman’s ban by collecting the signatures of at least 10% of registered voters in the ward. This changes the current system, where signatures of at least 25% of registered voters are required for an alderman to support a ban on short-term rentals. Alderman Marty Quinn, 13th, says that the current system is inefficient because once voters initiate the paperwork to conduct a petition drive, they only have 90 days to collect the signatures. It took his ward seven years to successfully collect the required signatures because the 90-day window kept expiring.

The proposed ordinance would only affect new rentals because existing rentals would be grandfathered in. Napolitano stated that he believes the current system “has no teeth,” but if other aldermen support short-term rentals in their wards, they can continue to do so.

Many business groups, chambers of commerce, aldermen, and even Jonathan Buckner, Chicago policy manager at Airbnb, believed the proposed ordinance would violate Chicagoans’ constitutional property rights to rent out their homes, which ultimately led to the vote delay. People voiced concerns that the proposed ordinance was reminiscent of a previous era where racial minorities were blocked from living in white neighborhoods. Others believed the proposed ordinance would threaten the fight against homelessness and negatively impact survivors of domestic violence.

Napolitano has not conceded defeat and wants to address the many concerns people have regarding the proposed ordinance before going through with the vote.

If you have questions about the proposed ordinance or its implications, contact the qualified attorneys at Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC.