A Detroit City Council member has proposed replacing Detroit's existing — yet unenforced — ban on some Airbnb home rentals with a new ordinance that opponents say would still wipe out most existing rentals.

Councilwoman Janeé Ayers said that her proposal, which was recently updated and could go before council's Public Health & Safety Committee next week, would apply to short-term rentals listed through Airbnb as well as the Vrbo platform.

There are roughly 900 Airbnb listings in the city, according to the company.

The latest proposal differs from its early version that was the subject of a June 6 City Planning Commission hearing. One change is that hosts who are present in their home at the same time as their paying guest would no longer have to abide by the restrictions.

"This version allows people who stay on the property and rent rooms to be exempted," said Ayers, who is a councilwoman at large.

In comparison to Airbnb regulations in other cities, including New York, Boston and San Francisco, Ayers called her plan "pretty middle ground."

More:Detroit bans Airbnb rentals in some residential areas, angering hosts

More:Detroit won't enforce Airbnb ban — for now

However, the proposal is still strongly opposed by a group of homeowners and small business owners called Sharing Detroit. The group has been running a GoFundMe fundraiser to hire consultants to help them modify or kill the regulation attempt. They raised about $6,750 as of Wednesday.

The group claims that if council approves the ordinance as written, the regulations could wipe out 85% of all Airbnbs and other home rentals in the city.

"It would all but ban Airbnb and short-term rentals in Detroit," said Theron Lewis, a Sharing Detroit member and owner of a business that assists people in renting out their properties. Sharing Detroit says it does not receive any financial support from Airbnb.

Major components of the proposed ordinance say:

Any property used as an Airbnb or short-term rental must be the host's primary residence.

All short-term rentals must get a permit from the City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department.

Hosts must pay a to-be-determined fee to the city for a permit.

Hosts can't rent out their home for more than 90 total days per year.

Rentals generally can't be within 1,000 feet of another registered rental, or 900 feet if special permission is given.

Registrations for permits must be submitted every year from Jan. 15 through Jan. 31.

No more than 10 people can use a rental at one time.

Guests can't have their own overnight guests.

The City of Detroit has had a ban since November 2017 on short-term rentals in properties zoned R1 and R2, but officials say the ban hasn't been enforced. Neighborhoods with single-family homes are typically zoned as R1 districts and R2 districts can contain single-family or two-family dwellings.

Ayers said the Airbnb issue was brought to her attention about three years ago by homeowners complaining about noise and trash issues.

Several residents of the Boston-Edison neighborhood shared negative experiences involving short-term rentals during the June 6 public hearing. The comments suggested a connection between the nonresident status of the properties' operators and the troubles neighbors experienced, such as parking problems, noisy parties, uncut grass, neglected trash and Dumpsters and disrespectful attitudes.

Most recently, Ayers said she has learned about people who buy Detroit properties with the sole purpose of renting them out on Airbnb and other platforms. That phenomenon can affect quality of life in neighborhoods, she said, and lead to unaffordable rents and real estate prices for those who want to reside in Detroit.

Ayers said she knows of one individual who owns eight residential properties — five across from Little Caesars Arena — and uses all of them as short-term rentals. Another individual called her office and said he was considering buying an apartment building on the west side and making it 100% short-term rentals, she said.

"We have to preserve affordable housing for those who want to be able to stay and live and grow their families in Detroit, so that is always going to take first priority for me," she said.

Lewis of Sharing Detroit said he is most upset about the proposed 1,000-foot spacing rule, the 90-day limit on rentals and the primary residence requirement.

The 1,000-foot rule "would be very detrimental to apartment buildings and anybody who is operating in any neighborhood, because that is about three to four blocks per rental," he said.

Councilwoman Ayers said the 1,000-foot rule is actually closer to about one rental per block. Permits would be issued on a first come, first serve basis and be reapplied for each year.

“If you don‘t have the foot regulation in there, then it doesn’t really make sure that neighborhoods aren’t overproliferated with short-term rentals," she said. “The No. 1 concern that we hear from people is they bought a home to be next to neighbors, not next to mini hotels.”

An Airbnb spokesman said the company opposes the proposal as currently written.

"This ordinance would stifle the earning power of Detroiters, many of whom rely on the supplement income home-sharing provides," spokesman Sam Randall said in a statement. "Additionally, it hurts a growing tourism economy in Detroit. As we continue to work with the city on the many possible regulatory solutions, we hope the council will listen to its host community and consider the local benefits of home sharing."

ContactJC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jcreindl. Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter.

Proposed ordinance for short-term home rentals