Kenai commission imposes quiet hours on short-term rental, reviving debate over neighborhood rules

The Kenai Planning & Zoning Commission voted Wednesday to require quiet hours for a short-term rental, marking the second time in four years the city has imposed time-based restrictions on a rental property that neighboring homeowners do not face.

The commission approved a conditional use permit for a seasonal Airbnb in the Inlet Woods neighborhood with a mandatory 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. quiet hours condition.

Commissioner Kraus objected that neighboring long-term rentals face no such restrictions.

Vice Chair Dothit, who moved to add the condition, said the commission previously approved a short-term rental in April 2022 with the same quiet hours requirement. Dothit said a conditional use permit is substandard to regular neighborhood zoning and that adding conditions later is nearly impossible.

Kenai and other Kenai Peninsula communities have been discussing how to regulate the growing number of short-term rentals. A September 2022 KDLL report noted that local governments are considering potential restrictions on Airbnb and Vrbo units amid concerns about neighborhood impacts and housing availability.