2026-09-10 · Kentucky · Compliance

What happened. Lexington's short-term rental enforcement is producing measurable results, and the city has moved from citing operators to placing liens on their property.

Revenue Director Wes Holbrook presented the figures to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council's General Government and Planning Committee on 1 July 2026.¹

The numbers

• Active listings fell from 1,290 when the city's compliance software launched to 787 — a decline of roughly 40%.
• 61 citations have issued, totalling $78,125 in fines.
• $19,000 has been paid; $59,125 remains outstanding.
• Four properties account for $52,400 of the unpaid total.
• Nine citations were nuisance-based — noise, parking, rubbish, occupancy. The rest were for operating without a licence.

On the liens, Holbrook told the committee: “One of the liens that we have is for $22,000, on a single property.” Owners who owe fines cannot obtain or renew a licence.

Councilmembers Tom Eblen (District 3), Emma Curtis (District 4) and James Brown (at-large) took part in the discussion.

The ordinances behind the numbers

Lexington's urban amendments, adopted 5 December 2024, cut the density threshold for unhosted short-term rentals from 3% to 2% of units within 1,000 feet, and raised the required buffer between units from 500 to 600 feet. Rural ordinances adopted 23 January 2025 require a conditional use permit, health department septic approval, and a one-mile buffer — 500 feet for parcels of ten acres or less.

1. Aaron Mudd, CivicLex, 2 July 2026 — reporting the Revenue Director's 1 July presentation to the General Government and Planning Committee ↩
2. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government — official short-term rental licensing page ↩
3. LFUCG Engage — short-term rental ordinance amendments and density thresholds ↩
4. SB 112 (2026) — the preemption that would have voided most of Lexington's regime ↩
5. Louisville Metro Legistar — Council legislation and Board of Zoning Adjustment records ↩