Residents, advocates lobby Whitefish City Council to crack down on illegal short-term rentals

More than a dozen people clad in yellow T-shirts marched around the entrance to Whitefish City Hall last week before calling on City Council to crack down on illegal short-term rentals in the municipality.

Their goal that evening was to implore Council to hire a short-term rental code enforcement officer, a request that was submitted to the body by city staff. Whitefish is home to 374 registered short-term rentals with upwards of another 300 operating illegally, according to city data. 

Most of the speakers were from “Housing For ___”, a housing advocacy group. Many were born and raised in Whitefish and now, as adults, are finding it impossible to continue to live in their hometown because of the cost of housing.