Darien Eyes Stronger Airbnb Ban

DARIEN, IL – Darien is looking to strengthen its nearly 2-year-old ban on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.

In June 2023, the City Council unanimously voted for a prohibition on renting homes for less than 30 days.

This follows complaints from residents that Airbnbs were causing problems in their neighborhoods, with some places becoming party houses.

On Wednesday, the city's plan commission plans to consider extending the ban to offering short-term rentals. This would allow the city to force property owners to remove listings on such sites as Airbnb, Vrbo and other sites.

This will help the city gain compliance from residents who claim they did not actually book short-term rentals, but only offered them, thus avoiding enforcement, according to a city memo.

Under the city's proposal, anyone who violates the Airbnb rules could get a $1,000 to $2,500 fine for each offense.

The commission is set to review the issue at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the police department's training room.