Following complaints about unruly guests, the Heber City Council has begun considering putting more teeth into enforcing short-term rental regulations.Tuesday, short-term rental owners came in droves to express their concern, offense or, in some cases, curiosity how the restrictions in mind wouldn’t lead to legal moves against the city.Ultimately, the council determined the potential restrictions go too far, though councilors said they see a need for more enforcement and strongly encouraged self-policing among rental owners.  “Heber City, I feel, has been pretty progressive in allowing short-term rentals,” Councilor Mike Johnston said.The issue the city faces, he explained, comes from people not following current code that sets the maximum occupancy limit at 12 people. Certain owners, he said, are blatantly ignoring the limitations in their rentals and in online advertisements stating they can take more short-term tenants than what the city allows.“We do feel our first responsibility is to our citizens and not to ruin their quality of life,” Johnston said. “I’m really grateful that you’re gathering together into a self-policing group.”If a short-term rental would bring in more cars or occupants than would be normal in its respective area, he said he doesn’t believe it’s appropriate.“My personal opinion is 12 is a good number,” he said.He added that the council’s frustration extends beyond short-term rental property owners to those who rent and don’t follow the rules of the rental they stay in.The possible criminal penalties for infractions primarily are for the people renting, he said.Councilor Sid Ostergaard emphasized the issue is due to a lack of enforcement options for its short-term rental code.He mentioned how other cities have specific limitations that differ, saying he’s learned Ground County allows 16 people in a rental, Saint George doesn’t have a limit, and Moab set their cap at 10.“It’s a trend that is going throughout the nation,” he said. “We want tourism here. … We don’t want it to impact our citizens.”Councilor Yvonne Barney said she’s not opposed to short-term rentals and she recognized they can provide income for people facing increasing costs of housing and living.“We will need to discuss this more,” she said. “I would like to look into zoning for certain areas.”Councilor Aaron Cheatwood said he was glad the city proposed something bold enough that short-term rental owners showed up to join the conversation.He agreed with a public commenter that criminal penalties for rental violations feel off base.“I disagree with enough of it that I am confident we need to talk more about it,” he said.Among other restrictions, the code changes the council deemed too strict would have prevented more than four lodgers from gathering outdoors at a property after 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and after 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It also would have prevented people renting short-term rentals from smoking, drinking or vaping outside.If people broke the rules once in a 12-month period, lodgers and property owners could face a $500 fine. A second infraction could be a class C misdemeanor with a possible $750 fine, and every following violation could be a class B misdemeanor with a possible $1,000 penalty.The post Heber City backs off stricter short-term rental rules, will continue discussion appeared first on Park Record.