Monday January 26, 2026
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In December 2015, Metro Council passed an ordinance to regulate the use of short term rentals; customers often book short term rentals through online platforms such as AirBnB, VRBO, and others. City leaders have been monitoring implementation of this ordinance and the evolution of the new shared economy. Louisville Metro Department of Develop Louisville, Metro Council District 8 and Louisville Tourism have partnered to propose changes to the short term rental ordinance (Chapter 115.515-521 of the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances and Chapter 4 of the Land Development Code) in response to the growing popularity of this tourist experience and how to best integrate it into our neighborhood fabric.
“Tourism is flourishing in our city and in addition to the number of hotels opening, we are also seeing a growth in the use of short term rentals, which allow visitors a unique way to experience our beautiful neighborhoods and vibrant commercial corridors,” said Jeff O’Brien, Director of Develop Louisville. “When welcoming this new form of the shared economy, we must also make sure that short term rentals and their occupants harmonize with neighbors and these proposed changes to our ordinance will help us better achieve that.”
“Short term rentals are good for our city but these changes are needed to upstream and toughen enforcement against illegal operators,” District 8 Metro Councilman Brandon Coan said. “Neighbors deserve these additional protections and they will serve all legal operators well.”
“As destinations around the country work to keep up with growing shared economy options for travelers, Louisville Tourism is proud to be among those that are embracing their short term rental community,” Louisville Tourism President & CEO Karen Williams said. “Now, like with traditional lodging, the transient room tax collected can be invested in marketing Louisville and we are working with our local partners, in Airbnb for example, on efforts to attract even more visitors using their properties as assets.”
Proposed changes include:
- Limiting the number of individuals eligible to reside in a short term rental to ten (10). The proposed changes would permit the number of individuals who can reside in a short term rental to two (2) times the number of bedrooms plus four (4) with a limit of ten (10) individuals.
- Allowing short term rental in properties zoned EZ-1. A map of EZ-1 zoned properties that would be eligible can be found here: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/planning-design/short-term-rental-in….
- Requiring that an emergency contact for each short term rental reside in Jefferson County.
- Eliminating an initial registration fee, which was $25. Under the proposed changes a $25 fee will be required upon renewal.
- Prohibiting the advertising of a short term rental if it is not registered with the city of Louisville. Enforcement for advertising a short term rental without registering it results in a notice of violation for a first offense and a $50 fine for every additional day that the short term rental remains advertised.
- Introducing a new enforcement process: a first offense results in a $50 fine, a second offense results in a $250 fine, a third offense results in a $500 fine, and any additional offense results in a $750 fine.
To view the proposed changes in their entirety and to provide feedback, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/planning-design/short-term-rental-in….
Develop Louisville staff will be presenting these proposed changes to the Planning Commission after all public feedback has been reviewed. Once approved by the Planning Commission, then the changes will go before Metro Council. Not all municipalities with zoning authority in Jefferson County have approved a short term rental ordinance.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
What is the latest on the Hepatitis A outbreak in Metro Louisville? Who makes sure restaurants are clean and prepare food safely? Who controls the mosquito population? Where do I go to learn about lead poisoning prevention?
The answers to those and many other questions can be heard at the next South Central Regional Forum which will focus on the work of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness on Wednesday, August 15th.
“This forum will take a look at many of the programs the Department handles on a daily basis to keep all of us safe,” says Councilwoman Madonna Flood (D-24). “We will also hear an update on how Louisville is dealing with the recent outbreak of Hepatitis A. It’s time for everyone to be aware of what we are doing to bring this under control.”
The forum is set for the new South Central Regional Library at 7400 Jefferson Boulevard from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Councilwoman Flood says there will be information on how to prevent the spread of Hepatitis A, as well as, other health information.
Nick Hart, Environmental Health Manager of the Department has been invited to answer any and all questions about a wide range of topics. The Environmental Health Division monitors compliance and provides education and enforcement in many areas including:
- Food Safety
- Hotels/Motels
- Swimming Pools
- Lifeguard Certification
- Mobile Home Parks
- Septic and Onsite Systems
- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention/Lead Abatement
- Mosquito Control
- Rabies control/ Animal Bites/Animal Quarantine
- Tattoo/Body Art/Piercing Studios and Certifications
- Hazmat Response
- Radon
- Smoke-Free Ordinance
- Children’s Meal Ordinance
The South Central Regional Forums are sponsored by Councilwoman Flood and Council Members James Peden (R-23), Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13) and Barbara Shanklin (D-2).
Louisville Metro Police Department and Code Enforcement will be in attendance.
For more information about this South Central Regional Forum, contact Councilwoman Flood’s office at 574-1124.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
President David James thanked everyone on Monday for another successful “Back to School” effort to get needed school supplies for needy students in District 6 schools.
“With a new school year under way, we wanted to make sure these children received the things they need for learning for the new school year is to make sure school supplies are delivered to the schools in need,” said James.
James and the volunteers had collected donations of schools supplies from Walmart and Kosair Charities. Those donations were be sorted on Friday and then delivered to six schools on Monday, August 13th between 8:30am to 11:00am.
The schools are Wheatley, Frayser, McFerran, Cochran, Brandies, Englehard and Noe Middle School.
“Kosair is happy to work with President James and our other great partners and make sure children have the tools they need to start the school year on the right path. Whenever you help a child, you help secure a brighter future for all of us,” said Keith Inman, President of Kosair.
The donated supplies include:
Crayons
Notebooks
Pencil boxes and pouches
Backpacks
For more information about the Back to School giveaway and future events in District 6, contact the President’s office at 574-1106.
Credit: Louisville Metro Police
Representatives from the Louisville Metro Council’s Minority Caucus as well as Louisville Metro Police and Jefferson County Public Schools will participate in an event to demonstrate a new tool that has been purchased to help deter speeding and promote safety. A total of nine new SpeedAlert web-enabled radar display devices will be announced and demonstrated. Representatives from Louisville Metro Police as well as Jefferson County Schools will also use this event as an opportunity to remind citizens of the importance of observing proper safety precautions, especially when driving near a school.
When: 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 13
Who: Louisville Metro Councilmembers, Louisville Metro Police Department and Jefferson County Public Schools
Where: Bowen Elementary School, 1601 Roosevelt Avenue (Off LaGrange Road)
Additional Information: a SpeedAlert web-enabled radar display will be located in the front parking lot of Bowen Elementary. A Second SpeedAlert radar device will be located onsite for those persons wishing to get video of the machine in operation.
For additional information related to this release or the nine members of the Louisville Metro Council’s Minority Caucus, contact Chris Lewis at 574-1118 or chris.lewis@louisvilleky.gov.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Neighborhood residents in two Metro Council districts will decide how a portion of the city budget is spent in their districts.
Our Money, Our Voice is an initiative of the Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness’s Center for Health Equity and Metro Councilmen David James (District 6) and Brandon Coan (District 8). Residents of those council districts will decide how $150,000 ($75,000 in each district) will be spent.
Our Money, Our Voice is the name of Louisville’s participatory budgeting initiative. Originating in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1989, participatory budgeting is a way for members of a community to work together to better meet their needs while having a direct say in government decisions. In the process, people often find new ways of interacting with government and with each other to create solutions for all. Participatory budgeting has been practiced in the United States since 2009 in such cities as Hartford, CT; Greensboro, NC; New York and Chicago.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Initial funding for the initiative is coming from $100,000 in capital infrastructure funds ($50,000 from each district) and $50,000 from the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement. Additional funding is being sought from foundations and private sources. Community residents will decide how to spend the money for physical improvement projects in each of the districts.
“Our Money, Our Voice is a pilot project — a new way for citizens to engage with government and decide how tax dollars are spent,” said District 8 Metro Councilman Brandon Coan. “It’s giving people real power over real money to make the decisions that affect their lives.”
“Who knows best about the needs of the community than the people who live there?” said District 6 Councilman David James. “Nobody can make better decisions about what a neighborhood needs than the residents of that neighborhood.”
The participatory budgeting process begins with the establishment of a steering committee consisting of representatives from the participating council districts. The steering committee then connects with neighborhood residents to develop ideas and create proposals for projects to benefit the neighborhoods. Finally, the residents in the metro council districts vote on how the money will be distributed among projects.
“Projects like Our Money, Our Voice are intrinsic to the work of public health,” said Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Department of Public Health and Wellness and the city’s chief health strategist. “Our vision is a healthy Louisville where everyone and every community thrives. Our mission is to achieve health equity and to improve the health of the people of our city. The best way to build a thriving community is to include everyone in the decision-making process from the start and participatory budgeting is a means to make that happen.”
District 6 neighborhoods participating in Our Money, Our Voice include Algonquin, California, Limerick, Old Louisville, Park Hill, Russell (the section north of Broadway Ave., south of Plymouth St., west of 22nd St. and east of 26th St.), Taylor-Berry, University and Victory Park.
Participating District 8 neighborhoods include Belknap, Bonnycastle, Alta Vista, Cherokee Triangle, Deer Park, Gardiner Lane – Upper Highlands, Hawthorne, Hayfield Dundee – Upper Highlands, Highlands Douglass, Original Highlands, Seneca Vista and Tyler Park.
Participatory budgeting was identified as a project that the community wanted to pursue during the My Dream for Lou Policy Summit hosted by the Center for Health Equity in October 2016. To learn more about the participatory budgeting process, the Department of Public Health and Wellness invites you to the kick-off event at the Heuser Hearing Institute Hearing and Language Academy at 111 E. Kentucky St. on Wednesday August 29 at 6 p.m.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
On Saturday, August 11th The 23 Zone is ready to once again give back to the community when the next “Feed the Block, the Back to School Edition” gets underway with free food, fun and other things to help children and people in the community.
“This is a great event that brings together local businesses, community volunteers and young people to help grow a spirit of help and concern for the people of the neighborhood,” says President David James (D-6).
The 23 Zone, located at 2621 4th Street, is no stranger to hosting “Feed the Block”. This is the store’s eleventh cookout since it opened. The purpose is a simple one; many of the store’s customers want to give back to the community.
A wide range of volunteers from local youth sports and activity groups are giving of their time at the event. The store’s location is in an area that has dealt with drugs and the less fortunate who sometimes go hungry.
In addition to food, The 23 Zone has donated shoes and clothes in the past to people in need that attend the cookout. This year, there is a back to school donation drive to help low income families and needy children get a good start to the school year.
“We are truly fortunate to have The 23 Zone and dedicated volunteers help our community,” says President James. “So if you are in need, please come. If you want to give your time and help out, you can come too.”
“Feed the Block, the Back to School Edition” gets under way at 1:00pm and goes until the food runs out. The event is hosted Kentucky Ambition AAU and Kourtesy’s Kupcakes. It is sponsored by Booth and Son Concrete & JiggaMCC Entertainment.
2018’s second CycLOUvia, the popular event showcasing alternative transportation, is returning to Three Points—Germantown, Schnitzelburg, and Shelby Park—on Sunday, August 19, Mayor Fischer announced.
To support and highlight the growing business activity on Logan Street, the route will stretch on Goss Avenue and Logan Street from Texas Avenue to Kentucky Street.
“Another CycLOUvia is another reason to enjoy exercise, alternative transportation and community,” Fischer said. “I encourage neighbors along this route to bring their bicycles, skateboards and walking shoes to Goss and Logan streets, participate in this event and support local businesses.”
Goss Avenue and Logan Street from Texas Avenue to Kentucky Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 2-6 p.m. Many businesses along the corridor will be open and engaging participants, creating an atmosphere that is uniquely Louisville.
The return to Three Points marks the fourteenth CycLOUvia event, with other events taking place on Bardstown Road, West Broadway, and Frankfort Avenue.
CycLOUvia is Louisville’s opportunity to experience transportation in a unique atmosphere, by walking, cycling, skateboarding, or dancing in the street. Streets account for a massive amount of public land in all cities. CycLOUvia repurposes these public spaces by temporarily replacing traditional vehicular traffic with pedestrian traffic.
During CycLOUvia, streets become paved parks where people of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds can come to improve their mental, physical, and emotional health.
Since 2012, CycLOUvia events have attracted tens of thousands of people to neighborhoods across the city. CycLOUvia promotes healthy lifestyles, alternative transportation, safety and economic development.
For more information, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/advanced-planning/cyclouvia
