OKC City Council Passes New Home Sharing Ordinance

OKC City Council has passed a home sharing ordinance after more than a year of debate between neighborhoods. 

Home sharing in historical preservation neighborhoods and renting out a property that is not your personal residence, has been made tougher.

In 30 days, anyone in OKC who wants to open a new AirBNB outside their primary residence, must pay $300 and apply for an exception to the rule.

In historical preservation (HP) neighborhoods, the home must be a host’s primary residence.

Additionally, the host in an HP neighborhood has to be present while the property is being rented, and they have to pay $300 to apply for an exception.

Both Heritage Hills and Edgemere Park, two of the nine HP neighborhoods, hired attorneys to voice their concerns to city council.

“You aren’t going to rent it out and have parties go on if you are there. So, it’s an additional self-check,” says attorney David Box, who represents Heritage Hills.

Many current AirBNB hosts voiced their frustrations with new home sharing rules.

“What I find disturbing is that two very affluent neighborhoods, that have representation on city council, pushed this through when 550 something neighborhoods have no problem with it,” says AirBNB host Rob Littlefield.

Current home sharing hosts are grandfathered in under previous rules.

Anyone renting out their primary residence through companies like AirBNB, outside an HP neighborhood, must pay $25 to register with the city and follow a list of safety precautions before the home is rented out.