A public hearing on a proposal to regulate short-term rental housing such as Airbnb drew dozens of residents to St. Paul City Hall, with some saying the rules go too far or don’t go far enough.

“I’m not against regulations, but I’m against over-zealous regulations,” said Casey Nordendale. “When you say to those folks they have to have off-street parking, or they can’t have social events … collect data that there actually are problems.”

Several homeowners in their 50s and 60s said they would not be able to afford to maintain their large, older homes on their own, or pay the city property taxes, without the supplemental income from short-term rentals.

Fairmount Avenue resident Mark Schultz said more needs to be done to guard against “commercially intensive businesses in residential neighborhoods.”

The plan would officially allow short-term rentals, which are currently widespread but technically illegal within the city limits. Airbnbs and other social hosts would have to be licensed and inspected by the city, as well as insured appropriately. Hosts would also have to pay sales and lodging taxes.

Hosts would pay the city an annual licensing fee of $70, and platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO would pay the city $7,000 annually.

No more than half the housing in a building — or a maximum of four units — could be converted into short-term rentals without a conditional use permit, and units would also face parking requirements.