As used in this Chapter
(a) "Short-Term Rental" means any room or dwelling that is rented wholly or partly for a fee for less than thirty (30) consecutive days by persons other than the permanent occupant/owner from which the permanent occupant/owner receive monetary compensation, whether such compensation is paid directly by the short-term rental guest or is collected and remitted to the permanent occupant/owner by a hosting platform. "Short-Term Rental" does not include a room in any Hotel or Motel, as defined elsewhere in the Codified Ordinances of the Village of Middlefield.
(b) "Short-Term Rental Operation" or "operation of a short-term rental" means occupancy for a fee of any room or dwelling in a short-term rental by a transient guest.
(c) "Hosting Platform" means a person or entity in whatever form or format that facilitates, through advertising or any other means, a short-term rental booking transaction for accommodations between a short-term rental host and short-term rental guest, including, but not limited to, reservations and/or collection of payment for such accommodations on behalf of the short-term rental host. Examples include, but are not limited to, Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway.
(d) "Transient Guests" means persons occupying a room or rooms for sleeping accommodations for less than thirty (30) consecutive days.
(e) "Short-Term Rental Guests" means persons renting temporary lodging from a short-term rental host, or through a hosting platform on behalf of the short-term rental host, for less than thirty (30) consecutive days.
(f) "Guestroom" means a room offered to the public for a fee that contains, at a minimum, provisions for sleeping.
(g) "Permanent Occupant" means persons who reside in a dwelling more than 51% of the time during a calendar year; the dwelling in which the persons reside shall be referred to as their primary residence.
(h) "Primary Residence" means a residence that is the usual place of return for housing as documented by at least two of the following: motor vehicle registration, driver's license, tax documents, or a utility bill. An owner or permanent occupant can only have one primary residence.
(i) "Dwelling" means any building or structure which is occupied or intended for occupancy in whole or in part as a home, residence or sleeping place for one or more persons.
(j) "Owner" means an individual(s), corporation, or partnership that has legal title to and control of a dwelling.
(k) "Short-term rental host" or "host" means the owner and/or permanent occupant of a short-term rental who offers the short-term rental for temporary lodging. A short term rental host must (i) own the dwelling for which a short-term rental permit has been issued and (ii) utilize the dwelling as his or her primary residence as its permanent occupant; provided that an applicant who is a permanent occupant of a primary residence that is owned by a trust of which the permanent occupant is a beneficiary or by a corporate entity of which the permanent occupant is a majority owner shall satisfy the requirements to be a short-term rental host.
(Ord. 23-120. Passed 6-8-23.)