The City of Hot Springs has scheduled a listening session for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, at Horner Hall in the Hot Springs Convention Center to gather input on possible policies, rules and regulations regarding short-term residential rental businesses.
The main objective of the listening session is to receive public comment and input on short term rentals within the City of Hot Springs. There will not be a question-and-answer segment as part of this planned listening session, and no decisions will be reached.
Each speaker will be allowed up to three minutes to present comments on the topic of short-term rental housing. Written comments from the public on this issue will also be accepted through Wednesday, March 24, by emailing STRcomments@cityhs.net.
At the March 2 meeting of the City’s Board of Directors, Ordinance No. 6375 was adopted and put into effect immediately. It states that any “Short-Term Residential Rental Business,” defined as the renting, leasing or otherwise furnishing of a house, cabin, condominium, apartment and/or other similar rental accommodations within the City for periods of less than 30 days, must obtain a business license under this new category. Owners of a short-term residential rental property must obtain a business license prior to May 30 if they intend to continue operating as a short-term rental business.
Applications for a business license for this category must include the following:
- The name, address and phone number of the owner of the property or properties to be licensed.
- A list of all short-term residential rental addresses of any kind owned by said owner in the City of Hot Springs.
- The name, address and phone number of a local contact person responsible and able to respond to emergencies and complaints for the property.
The initial application fee and subsequent annual business and occupation tax, per short-term residential rental business address, shall be $50 per bed within any such property or properties to be licensed.
Business license applications are available online at https://www.cityhs.net/DocumentCenter/View/30/City-Business-License-Application. Completed applications should be submitted to the City of Hot Springs, Finance Department, 324 Malvern Avenue, 2nd Floor, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901. For more information, call 501-321-6826 or email mnunez@cityhs.net.
Pursuant to Ordinance No. 6375, no applications for this category will be accepted from May 30, 2021, through October 13, 2021. This abeyance period is intended to be used to study and consider warranted policies, rules and regulations, if any, that the Board finds to be needed in this area. The Board is cognizant of the potential impact that such an abeyance could have on this industry, and therefore, has directed the City Manager and City Attorney to diligently begin the process without delay.