NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge issued a ruling on Tuesday in favor of the city of New Orleans in regard to laws on residential short-term rentals.
Council member At-Large J.P. Morrell showed support for U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle's ruling in a statement issued Wednesday morning.
“We appreciate the court’s ruling today, as it brings certainty to the ability of the City to regulate STRs," stated Morrell. "This Council will work with the Department of Safety & Permits and the STR Regulatory Office to ensure that our existing rules are implemented swiftly and that all illegal STRs are shut down as soon as possible.”
Fellow council member Helena Moreno echoed Morrell's statement.
"We've been fighting from the beginning to stop corporations from taking over our residential neighborhoods, and this ruling vindicates our efforts to protect New Orleanians," she said. "The ruling upholds and endorses our reasonable regulations on STRs we instituted last year and I appreciate the court's careful consideration of this case.”
Short-term rentals are typically considered any privately owned home or room rented for less than 30 days at a time. They’re frequently rented on websites like AirBnB, VRBO, and HomeAway.
In September, the city council agreed to temporarily pause new commercial short-term rentals until a comprehensive study on the regulation of STRs, hostels, and timeshares can be evaluated.
Two months later, Judge Lemelle kept the temporary freeze in place.
Read the complete ruling in the court document below:
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