Ocean Springs staff seeks to codify inspection deadlines, advertising ban for short-term rentals

Planning staff presented a packet of redline changes to the city's short-term rental ordinance and told the Board of Aldermen the edits are intended to codify how the office already handles applications and enforcement. The staff presentation outlined deadlines and administrative procedures the planning department wants written into Section 5-10.

The draft would make submitted applications active for 30 days from the date of submission and allow a maximum of three inspection attempts per application; "The application shall be deemed expired and administratively closed" if applicants fail to advance the review within that 30-day window, staff said. Staff said the rule aims to prevent single applications from lingering through repeated failed inspections and creating months-long backlogs.

Staff also proposed a prohibition on advertising a property as a short-term rental before obtaining a city short-term rental lodging permit. As presented: "no person or entity shall advertise, offer, or otherwise promote any property as a short term rental without first obtaining a valid short term rental lodging permit issued by the city." The package specifies advertising includes online listings, printed materials, signage and social media and makes advertising violations grounds for permit denial or revocation.

Other administrative changes: the packet replaces a verbose fee description with a simple, nonrefundable application fee consistent with the most recently adopted fee schedule; clarifies that the planning commission recommends (rather than approves) permit applications; and adds a renewal review that considers verified complaints and documented violations when deciding whether to renew a permit. Staff said many of these actions are already enforced informally and the edits are meant to align the ordinance text with current operations.

The board did not take a final vote at the workshop. Staff asked for feedback and legal review where members raised concerns about specific provisions.