A board member of the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association on Monday urged Des Moines city officials to allow local groups to decide how short-term rentals are regulated in their individual neighborhoods.

“We’re not against Airbnbs,” David Schlarmann, a Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association board member, said during a public meeting on Des Moines’ short-term rental ordinance. “However, we recognize that [proposed changes to new zoning code] is not necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution for every neighborhood.”

A new zoning code, which went into effect Dec. 16, caps the number of days an owner can rent his or her property at 120 annually, unless the owner lives on-site. Feedback from current operators of short-term rentals said the new rules were too restrictive and likely would put them out of business. City Council members said the issue would be revisited.

On Monday, city officials unveiled suggested changes to the short-term rental portion of the code, including eliminating the residency requirement and allowing rentals to occur 365 days a year. The city is also proposing a reduction in the amount of information collected about guests and proposing that use by large groups be granted by the board of adjustment. 

City officials are proposing to keep in place a 10% cap on the percentage of units in a multifamily building that can be rented on a short-term basis. Officials also are proposing that the requirement for rental certificates remain in place.

Most at the meeting applauded the proposed changes, which will be considered by the Plan and Zoning Commission at a public hearing on Jan. 16.

Schlarmann, though, asked whether individual neighborhood groups could set their own requirements. “Neighborhoods should have a little more say with what occurs within their boundaries,” he said after the meeting.

Schlarmann said the Sherman Hill group wants owners of single-family residences to live in houses where short-term rentals are allowed. He also said the group wants a cap on the number of rooms that can be rented in a single-family residence. 

Sherman Hill is one of Des Moines’ oldest neighborhoods. Many houses in the neighborhood, located northwest of downtown, were built in the mid- to late 1800s in a variety of Victorian styles. 
  
“Our board’s position is that somehow Airbnbs must be controlled to protect the integrity of our historical neighborhood,” said Schlarmann, who estimated the neighborhood now has about a dozen short-term rentals. “We would request that owner occupancy be required for single-family dwellings and duplexes. …

“We’re also concerned about absentee landlords and parking congestion.”

SuAnn Donovan, Des Moines’ neighborhood inspection administrator, has estimated the city has at least 300 short-term rentals.

She told the 40 people at Monday’s meeting that city staff would discuss changes to the proposed rules before presenting them to the Plan and Zoning Commission.