Albuquerque city council votes down short-term rental regulations

US: An Albuquerque, New Mexico city council bill implementing a 100-foot buffer zone between future short-term rentals was voted down by five votes to four Monday.

The bill originally called for a 330-foot zone, but an amendment was made to reduce that figure; despite the amendment the rule was not passed.

Single-room STRs within an owner-occupied unit would have been exempted from the act.

The bill acknowledged that STRs can “negatively impact neighborhoods, including increasing noise, disturbances and impacting neighborhood character.”

Councillors intended for the measure to protect neighborhoods from rental overpopulation as well as preserve long-term housing for residents. Over half of Albuquerque’s renters are housing cost-burdened, paying more than 30 per cent of their income in rent.

Councillor Nicole Rogers said her Nob Hill district had residential blocks shift away from their traditional makeup as clusters of short-term rentals appeared, but residents speaking at the meeting said it would limit tourism revenue and income streams.

Similar restrictions on STRs failed in 2023 and 2024.

Highlights:

• The Albuquerque city council voted down a proposed short-term rental buffer zone by a 5–4 margin.
• The bill would have required a 100-foot distance between new short-term rentals, reduced from an original 330-foot proposal.
• Owner-occupied, single-room short-term rentals were exempt under the proposed regulations.
• Supporters cited neighborhood impacts and housing affordability concerns, noting over half of city renters are cost-burdened.
• Similar short-term rental restrictions have failed in Albuquerque in 2023 and 2024.