Patton Township Adopts New Short-Term Rental Regulations

Patton Township's Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved new regulations for short-term rental properties, most significantly addressing non-owner-occupied houses used for services like Airbnb and Vrbo. The changes came after a year-long review following the township's adoption of a permit requirement for any rental of one day or more. The township previously required permits from the Centre Region Code Administration office only for long-term rentals over seven consecutive days. "The number one thing we’ve heard over the last year from folks that own the non-owner-occupied short-term rentals is that it’s their small business, and that they’re providing transient housing for Penn State events," Township Manager Amy Farkas said. "We do not allow small businesses in our residential zoning districts except for the ones that allow hotels." (The township does allow low-impact and no-impact home-based businesses in residential districts.) Under the new regulations, non-owner-oc