Short Term Rentals and Local Zoning
The case of Wortham v. Village of Barrington Hills, 2022 IL App (1st) 210888 Across the country, communities are wrestling with how to manage short-term rentals. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo have transformed the housing market, allowing homeowners to profit from renting out properties to travelers. Yet, this convenience has created deep tensions between preserving residential neighborhood character and accommodating new economic models. At the heart of this debate lies a critical legal question: when does a home stop being residential and start functioning as a business? The Illinois appellate case Wortham v. Village of Barrington Hills (2022 IL App (1st) 210888) shines a spotlight on this issue. It illustrates how short-term rental operations can effectively convert single-family residences into commercial lodging uses—and how local zoning codes can enforce those boundaries. The Case Background Clay and Anita Wortham owned a single-family home in Barrington Hills, Illinois, a ...