The City of Covington, Kentucky, has expressed its opposition to a legislative proposal in the Kentucky General Assembly that would grant out-of-state vacation rental platforms, such as Airbnb, the ability to operate in cities like Covington without local regulation. This proposal is currently presented in Senate Bill 110 but could potentially be transferred to another bill as it progresses through the legislative process.
Mayor Ron Washington highlighted that the city has invested significant time working with property owners and neighborhood advocates to find a balance that suits their community. "Our intent – and we believe we succeeded – was to retain property owners’ ability to create businesses and make money while also preserving the residential character of our neighborhoods," he said.
Covington joins other cities in Northern Kentucky, including Newport and Independence, alongside the Kentucky League of Cities, in urging legislators not to pass this legislation. The current provisions of SB 110 would prevent local governments from requiring short-term rental operators to obtain conditional use permits or impose density-based restrictions.
The discussion around these restrictions began in December 2020 and culminated with updated regulations in June 2024. During this period, Covington implemented a temporary moratorium on new short-term rental licenses due to concerns about neighborhoods turning into hotel districts, which affected parking, litter, noise levels, taxpayer costs, and housing availability.
This pause allowed for public input through surveys and hearings. According to Mayor Washington, "Overwhelmingly, people in Covington...wanted any regulation to be set by local officials."
"In Covington," he added, "we believe in listening to our residents and businesses...It is my hope that legislators will not consider the legislation being championed by one single national corporate group during this session."