Evanston City Council delays vacation rental vote again

Council also approves city goals and applies for federal infrastructure funding

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Evanston City Council delayed a vote to amend an ordinance surrounding short-term rental properties for the second time on Monday. The council also approved summaries of city council goals and a plan to apply for a federal infrastructure funding grant.

Why it matters

The vacation rental ordinance amendment is an attempt by the city to limit the "commodification of housing" and the impact of short-term rentals on the local housing market. The delay reflects ongoing debate over the specifics of the regulations. The city council goals and infrastructure funding application demonstrate Evanston's priorities around affordable housing, climate action, economic development, and public services.

The details

The council walked back a previously amended definition that classified anything rented for under one year without a lease as a vacation rental, shortening it to a period under 30 consecutive days. The amendment had also prohibited vacation rental units operating within 600 feet of each other and limited the number of rental units in a building to 25%. City council plans to return to the amendments at their Feb. 23 meeting.

  • The Evanston City Council meeting took place on Monday, February 9, 2026.
  • The council plans to revisit the vacation rental ordinance amendments at their February 23, 2026 meeting.

The players

Juan Geracaris

9th Ward councilmember who spoke about the effort to "limit the commodification of housing" through the vacation rental ordinance.

Matt Rodgers

8th Ward councilmember who drafted the city council's goal summaries, reaffirming the overarching goal of delivering city services effectively and efficiently.

Clare Kelly

1st Ward councilmember who expressed concerns about committing to the federal infrastructure grant without further research on the conditions.

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What they’re saying

“This referral has been to kind of close loopholes and shut the door on what's, a lot of us think is, the commodification of housing. We're running this line where we're trying to do as much as we can to limit this, but also stay within law and not expose ourselves.”

— Juan Geracaris, 9th Ward councilmember (dailynorthwestern.com)

“We have one goal, and that's really to deliver city services to our residents as cost effectively as we can, as efficiently as we can, and as well as we can and all of this kind of falls underneath that.”

— Matt Rodgers, 8th Ward councilmember (dailynorthwestern.com)

“I'm just concerned that we commit ourselves, that we sign off, we take the grant, and we're not going to find out — it seems like we should know the conditions.”

— Clare Kelly, 1st Ward councilmember (dailynorthwestern.com)

What’s next

The Evanston City Council plans to revisit the vacation rental ordinance amendments at their February 23, 2026 meeting.

The takeaway

Evanston's city council is grappling with the complex issue of regulating short-term vacation rentals, balancing the need to address the impact on housing affordability with legal considerations. Meanwhile, the council is also focused on broader priorities around affordable housing, climate action, economic development, and infrastructure improvements, demonstrating the multifaceted challenges facing local government.