Wichita City Council members have approved an ordinance to deal with nuisance parties at short-term rental properties in the city.
Action had been delayed to rewrite the ordinance to clarify when a property owner could be held responsible for violations.
The ordinance defines activities that would be considered as nuisances, including noise, unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages, property damage, illegal gambling, and other conduct.
The property owner and the person renting the property could be cited under the ordinance, but they can only be charged if they are present at the time of the party, if they have been notified by law enforcement or city staff about party activities, or if other facts show that the owner or renter knew or should have known that the party was taking place.
Law enforcement can ask that party activities stop, and people attending the party who fail to leave can be charged with a violation. Upon conviction, a first penalty can be a fine of not more than $500. A second or later offense will have a fine of $1,000 up to a maximum of $2,500 and one year imprisonment. A person who is a short-term rental license holder could have the license suspended for up to ten days.
