Fulton County Ohio Media

Following a presentation by Swanton resident and local Airbnb owner Amanda Church at the July 20^th Swanton Village Council meeting, the Council voted 6-0 to kill Planning Commission Ordinance 2026-15, legislation designed to revise regulations governing short term rentals.

Defined in the Ordinance as the rental, lease, license, occupancy of a dwelling unit, or any portion thereof, for compensation of less than thirty (30) consecutive days.  It also defined the term “Sort Term Rental” to include, but not limited to rentals advertised or offered through Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.co, Expedia, Vacasa, Home to Go, FlipKey, Facebook Marketplace or similar online lodging platforms.  In its essence, the legislation would prohibit Short Terms Rentals from operating in residential neighborhoods and be limited to commercial zoning districts.

Ms. Church’s displayed a map of the United States with pinpoints of locations from around the country where her guests originated.  Her address to the Council was as follows:

Hi, my name is Amanda Church.  I am a seven-year resident of the Village of Swanton.  During those seven years, I’ve restored several homes in the Village including 201 North Main, 205 North Main, 305 West Garfield, and 3407 Waterville Swanton Road.  Currently, I own two homes, 126 Harrison Ave. and 201 North Main, which I operate as Airbnbs for guests visiting the area.

People ask me all the time, “Why Swanton?”  Honestly, it surprises me, too.  But yes, people do come.  They come to see family and friends, attend weddings and funerals, visit events at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, attend events in Toledo, or come here for work.

Firefighters have stayed here while training at the Swanton Fire Department.  Swanton High School graduates have stayed to attend their class reunions.  Quilters have come for events in Archbold.  Guests have stayed here on their way to the Toledo Zoo, concerts in Detroit, or to ride the Wabash Cannonball Trail.  Honestly, you name it, they’ve come.

In a few weeks, a guest is passing through Swanton on his way to Woodstock Harley-Davidson for the start of HOKA Motorcycle Challenge.  Another guest is coming for a granddaughter’s baby shower.  Another guest is visiting family here because Swanton is halfway between Fayette and Sylvania.

I often have to turn guests away because I’m fully booked.  These guests aren’t looking for a hotel, they want a home to stay in.  Almost every guest asks me for recommendations on where to eat and what to do while they’re here, the diner, the bakery, the winery, the bowling alley.  One guest who originally stayed here for work liked it so much that he brought his family back for a weekend vacation.  Linemen, electricians, cable installers, road workers, engineers stay during the week.  Currently, I am hosting an engineer that is making Swanton his home for two months as he is here for work in Delta.

You’ve seen my passion and work for restoring real estate here in Swanton.  I plan to continue that work at 14147 Airport Highway, a home that sat vacant and in disrepair for years.  Without the ability for me to operate these homes as Airbnbs, it will be very difficult for me to continue doing what I love, restoring real estate and revitalizing homes within the Village of Swanton.

I encourage other residents of the Village of Swanton to Airbnb, but I warn you, it’s a lot of work for little pay and a lot of laundry.  We have a need so let’s have these travelers stay in Swanton in the residential areas.

With the unanimous rejection of the Ordinance, Council chose to send it back to the Planning Commission to revise the regulation language to allow Short Term Rentals within residential areas.

Photo: Amanda Church addresses Swanton Village Council