Plan Commission advances rental and short‑term rental rules; requires permit number in listings

The Porter Plan Commission reviewed a draft rental and short‑term rental ordinance on June 24 and voted to move it to public hearing after adding language to improve local enforcement and transparency.

Commission members discussed three practical concerns: (1) whether to include non‑commercial house‑sitting exchanges (members indicated those should be excluded), (2) how the town can obtain tenant contact information when platforms such as Airbnb or other vacation‑rental operators mediate bookings, and (3) enforcement mechanisms when an inspection fails. Commissioners and staff discussed options such as requiring hosts to verify guest identity and including the town permit number in the listing.

The commission voted by roll call to append language under the ordinance requiring that “All short‑term rental listings on any platform shall display the Town of Porter permit number in the listing description.” (Staff will ensure the correct ordinance version is posted for the public hearing.) Members also voted to set the rental ordinance for public hearing in July. Staff discussed inspection checklists and noted that fines were placeholders for discussion; a Porter administrative body would be required for fines over $250 under state law.