[Adopted 5-1-1972 by Ord. No. 440-1972; amended in its entirety 8-14-1989 by Ord. No.
16-1989 as Ch. 11, Part 1, of the 1989 Code]
This article is enacted to provide for the uniform and equitable
distribution of the tax levies in the Township of Robinson and upon
the inhabitants thereof and to promote the health, safety, morals
and general welfare of the inhabitants of the Township of Robinson.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from
the context:
BUSINESS UNIT
A parcel of real estate, with or without improvements located
thereon, utilized by any person or persons for any commercial activity
or purpose.
DWELLING UNIT
One or more rooms used for living and sleeping purposes,
arranged for occupancy by one family or by one or more persons.
LANDLORD
A lessor or person who acts as agent for the lessor of any
parcel of real estate located in the Township of Robinson or a lessor
or person who acts as agent for the lessor of any improvements on
real estate or any building located in the Township of Robinson.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, association, firm or corporation.
TENANT
A person who has the use, either by himself or with others,
of a dwelling unit or a business unit owned by a person other than
himself for a period exceeding 30 days.
[Amended 3-1-2021 by Ord. No. 3-2021]
A. Within 30 days from the effective date of this amendment and on April
1 and September 1 of each calendar year, each landlord shall submit
to the Township Manager or his designated agent an approved form supplied
by the Township Secretary which includes the following information:
(1) A list of the dwelling units and business units owned by the landlord
located within the Township of Robinson limits, whether occupied or
not occupied;
(2) Address of each individual dwelling unit and business unit;
(3) Brief description of each dwelling unit or business unit;
(4) Whether or not said dwelling unit or business unit is inhabited or
utilized by tenants; and
(5) Names of the tenant or tenants utilizing the aforementioned dwelling
unit or business unit, if any.
B. On April 1 and September 1 of each calendar year, each landlord must update the information as required by Subsection
A(2),
(4) and
(5). The apartment number or other designation of a dwelling unit or business unit located in multifamily structures must be designated individually and specifically.
After the effective date of this article, any person who becomes a landlord of any parcel of real estate or any improvement on real estate or building located in the Township of Robinson by agreement of sale, by deed, or by any other means shall, within 30 days thereafter, report to the Township Manager or his designated agent the information and data set forth in §
212-3 above and on forms to be provided by the Township Secretary.
After the effective date of this article, each and every landlord
of property within the Township of Robinson shall report to the Township
Manager or his designated agent on a report form to be supplied by
the Township Secretary any change in the use or occupancy of any dwelling
unit or business unit owned by such landlord. The reported change
shall include the name or names of new tenants of such dwelling unit
or business unit, the date when such change was effected, and the
forwarding address of the old tenant or tenants, if known. A landlord
of a hotel, inn or boardinghouse shall not be required to report a
person as a tenant until that person has resided in such landlord's
establishment for a period exceeding 30 days. In the event that a
dwelling unit or business unit was used or utilized by a tenant and
then becomes vacant, this change shall also be reported to the Township
Manager or his designated agent. All reports required by this section
shall be made within 10 days after a landlord has knowledge that such
a unit has had a change in occupancy or has become vacant.
The Secretary, under the authority of this article, shall:
A. Maintain on file at the Township office the names of the landlords
owning dwelling units and business units in the Township of Robinson,
said list to include the names of the current tenants of said dwelling
units and business units;
B. Maintain a supply of forms for landlords to use in making reports to the Township Manager or his designated agent as required by §§
212-3,
212-4 and
212-5 of this article;
C. Notify the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief of the Township of
Robinson of the address and description of any dwelling unit or business
unit that is vacant, unoccupied and not in use.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article shall,
upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than
$600 and, in default of payment, to imprisonment for a term not to
exceed 30 days.
[Adopted 9-12-2022 by Ord. No. 3-2022]
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Short-Term
Rental Ordinance."
The Township desires to permit short-term rental uses within
specific zoning districts with the Township in such a manner as to
provide the benefits of such rentals while protecting the character
and residential qualities of the neighborhoods in which the short-term
rentals may be conducted. The Board of Commissioners of the Township
specifically finds and declares as follows:
A. Short-term rentals provide a community benefit by expanding the number
and type of lodging facilities available and assist owners of short-term
rentals by providing revenue which may be used for maintenance, upgrades,
and deferred costs.
B. While most short-term rentals operate without issue, there have been
numerous issues throughout the country, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
and specifically the Township with short-term rentals including excessive
noise, parking, litter and concerns regarding security, public safety
and trespass.
C. The transitory nature of occupants of short-term rentals makes enforcement
against the occupants difficult and to prevent the potential negative
impacts on residential neighborhoods posed by short-term rentals.
D. The provisions of this article are necessary to prevent the continued
burden on the Township and community services and to prevent the potential
negative impacts on residential neighborhoods posed by short-term
rentals.
E. Compliance with the terms and provisions of this article shall have
the meanings provided for in the Township of Robinson to maintain
the character and nature of residential zoning districts within the
Township.
The words and/or phrases used in this article shall have the
meanings provided for in Township of Robinson Municipal Code, Chapter_____,
Article _____, Section_____, unless otherwise defined herein.
No owner of a short-term rental shall rent, offer to rent, or
advertise for rent the short-term rental to another person without
a valid short-term rental permit approved and issued in the manner
provided for by this article. Permits are nontransferable.
An application for a short-term rental permit shall be filled
out and turned into the Township Code Official/Zoning officer. The
application shall contain the following information:
A. The name, address, phone number and email address of the short-term
rental owner. If the owner is the designated contact person, the owner
shall provide a twenty-four-hour phone number.
B. The name, address, phone number, email address and twenty-four-hour
phone number of the contact person, if the owner is not the designated
contact person, the owner shall provide a twenty-four-hour phone number.
C. A photograph of the short-term rental taken from the front of the
short-term rental.
D. A floor plan of the short-term rental indicating the number of bedrooms
and/or dwelling units offered for rent and the maximum number of overnight
guests permitted.
E. A diagram or photo of the premises showing and indicating the number
and location of designated on-site parking spaces and the maximum
number of vehicles allowed for overnight occupants.
F. A diagram or photo of the premises showing and indicating the number
and location of off-site parking spaces, if any, for use by an overnight
occupant of short-term rental.
G. A copy of the owner's registration with the Allegheny County
Treasurer's Officer Special Tax Division.
H. An acknowledgment that the owner, agent and/or contact person have
read all regulations pertaining to the operation of the short-term
rental.
I. An acknowledgement that the owner, agent, and/or contact person must post and maintain the short-term rental with the notice required in §
212-20.
J. Municipal lien letters and tax certifications evidencing no outstanding
municipal liens, taxes and/or utilities due and owing against the
property and/or any property owned by the owner within the Township.
K. Valid occupancy permit from the Township of Robinson.
No permit application, or renewal application, shall be denied if it is in compliance with the provisions of this article and accompanied by the required fee. If a short-term rental permit is denied, the Code Official/Zoning Officer shall send the owner written notice of the denial along with the specified reasons for the denial. The owner has the right to appeal the denial of a permit under §
212-21 below.
Any short-term rental permit may be subsequently revoked by the Code Official/Zoning Officer when the Code Official/Zoning Officer finds that the information contained in the application is false, or a violation of this article has occurred on three or more occasions in a rolling twelve-month period. A permit may only be revoked after written notice to the owner describing the violation or the condition by citing to the applicable sections of this article and notifying the owner of their right to appeal under §
212-20 below.
All short-term permits issued pursuant to this article are subject
to the following standards.
A. Owner shall limit overnight occupancy of the short-term rental to
two occupants per bedroom, but in any case, no more than eight overnight
occupants per short-term rental. Children 12 or under do not count
towards the limit of overnight occupants.
B. The maximum number of day guests allowed at one time, in addition
to the overnight occupants, shall be 75% of the maximum overnight
occupancy of the short-term rental (i.e., if the maximum number of
overnight occupancy is six, the maximum amount of days guest permitted
to be at the short-term rental would be four, for a total of 10 people).
C. Short-term rentals may only be available to rent for a minimum of
two consecutive days and a maximum of up to seven consecutive days.
D. The owner shall limit the number of all vehicles of overnight occupants
to the number designated in the short-term rental application, with
the number of all vehicles not to exceed the number of designated
on-site parking spaces.
(1) The number and location of all parking for overnight occupants shall
be designated on the permit and shall be located on the owner's
property and not in any private community or public right-of-way.
(a)
If no on-site parking is available, occupants or guests are
permitted to use any lawful on-street parking.
(2) All parking spaces shall be improved to a mud-free condition with
paving, stone or similar material approved by the Township.
E. The owner shall use best effort to ensure the occupants or guests
of the short-term rental do not create unreasonable noise or disturbances,
engage in disorderly conduct, or violate provisions of this article
or other ordinances of the Township. The owner shall notify occupants
and guests of rules/laws regarding short-term rentals and respond
when notified those occupants and/or guests are violating such rules/laws.
It us not intended for the owners or contact person to act as an enforcement
officer or place himself or herself in harm's way.
(1) The owner or contact person shall, upon notification that the occupants
or guests of the short-term rental have created unreasonable noise
or disturbances, engaged in disorderly conduct or violated provisions
of this article or other Township ordinances or state laws pertaining
to noise or disorderly conduct, promptly use best efforts to prevent
a recurrence of such conduct by those occupants or guest and/or future
occupants or guests.
F. Occupancy of recreational vehicles, camper trailers, tents and other
similar items shall not be allowed.
G. The use of any open fires, fire pits, charcoal burning grills, or
other devices shall be the responsibility of the owner or contact
person and shall comply with all Township, County and State Laws.
All open fires shall be extinguished by 12:00 midnight.
H. All short-term rentals shall comply with all applicable building
codes and shall have the requisite number of functioning smoke and/or
fire detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide monitors and other
safety devices required under the applicable code.
I. Marketing standards. All short-term rentals shall comply with the
following marketing standards:
(1) Advertising or marketing the occupancy of a short-term rental for
a number of occupants which exceeds the occupancy requirements permitted
by this article.
(2) Advertising or marketing the occupancy of a short-term rental prior
to obtaining a short-term rental permit.
(3) Advertising or marketing the occupancy of a short-term rental without
providing parking information.
(4) Short-term rentals must be listed and/or advertised through a third-party
entity (i.e., Airbnb, VRBO, etc., but not Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist,
etc.).
J. Each short-term rental shall have a clearly visible and legible notice
posted within the unit on or adjacent to the front door, containing
the following information:
(1) The name of the contact person and a telephone number at which that
party may be reached on a twenty-four-hour basis.
(2) The 911 address of the property.
(3) The maximum number of occupants permitted to stay in the short-term
rental dwelling unit and maximum number of day guest permitted at
one time.
(4) The maximum number of vehicles allowed to be parked on the property
and the requirement that all renter/guest parking must be on the property
and not in any private, community, or public right of way.
(5) Notice that trash and refuse shall not be left or stored on the exterior
of the short-term rental; and directions for the proper disposal of
trash and refuse.
(6) Notice that the occupant may be cited and fined for creating a disturbance
of for violating other provisions of this article.
K. Each of these standards is a condition of any permit issued pursuant
to this article, and failure to comply may result in revocation of
the permit.
The terms of this article shall apply retroactively to all short-term
rental facilities currently operating a well as prospectively.