After residents spoke at more than one meeting about problems with one such property in particular, city leaders worked on ways to tighten the rules for having a permit to rent out properties to nightly or weekly tenants.
A check of popular nightly rental sites showed a handful of properties available inside the city limits currently, including a few marketed toward golf fans traveling to the area for July’s 3m Open in Blaine.
Fire Chief Don Krueger said he doesn’t think the new ordinance and restrictions will allow for more properties like this in the city.
“It definitely is a process, and this ordinance places certain restrictions that I think will be much clearer and also will limit the extent of the activity that may have taken place at some of these,” said Krueger.
Until now, the city had to rely on renters possibly violating noise or parking ordinances in order to enforce rules. Krueger said that was, until now, handled by the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office.
The new permits to operate these properties as rentals should soon be available at Ham Lake City Hall.
