In preparation for the FIFA World Cup being in the Kansas City-area in 2026, Prairie Village is the most recent governing body to discuss short-term vacation rentals.
Some council members, according to Deputy City Administrator Nickie Lee, want decisions made before the international competition in case there are opportunities for extra revenue.
“Should they regulate them more? We discussed banning them. The most current conversation was whether to apply a transient guest tax to stays at short term rentals,” Lee said.
In general, Lee says Prairie Village has been discussing potential regulations for years.
The city has 30 vacation rentals, which could be on platforms like Airbnb or VRBO.
While the city hasn’t received many formal complaints, they think it’s time to change how they do business.
“It’s kind of a fairness thing in Prairie Village,” Lee said. “Why would we charge this for hotel stays but not for short term rentals? If we’re allowed to do it, why wouldn’t we do it?”
They already apply a transient guest tax to their only hotel in the city, The Inn at Meadowbrook. The guest tax only applies to the person staying there.