Airbnb to activate ‘anti-party’ technology for Memorial Day weekend
Airbnb is activating its “anti-party” technology again for Memorial Day weekend as the global rental property giant doubles down on its no-party policies. Temporary changes to the online booking system will deter potential “higher risk” bookings during Memorial Day weekend. Last year, Airbnb said the technology deterred nearly 11,000 people from booking entire homes over Memorial Day weekend. In Philadelphia, 85 people were deterred from entire-home booking that same time period. The system looks at the type of listing being booked, the duration of the stay, the distance from the guest’s primary location, and whether the booking is made last minute, to determine whether a booking should be deterred, according to Airbnb.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 5/13/2026

Primary election is May 19
Tuesday, May 19, is Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find polling places, check registration status, and access voting resources at the PA Voting & Election Information website. Visit the Suburban Realtors Alliance Elections page to find links to sample ballots and a description of how various elected offices affect real estate. The National Association of Realtors encourages members to vote for candidates and issues that build strong communities and protect property interests.

Proposal would increase PennDOT payments to municipalities
A Pennsylvania House proposal would increase per-mile payments under PennDOT's Highway Transfer Turnback Program from $4,000 to $6,000 — a 50% jump — for the first time since the program launched in 2006. Under the voluntary program, the state transfers ownership of low-volume state roads to local municipalities, who then receive an annual payment for the maintenance. In 2026, 1,167 municipalities participated and collectively received about $19.3 million. The bill passed the House Transportation Committee unanimously on May 4 and awaits a floor vote.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 5/8/2026

NAR backs Labor Department proposal to clarify independent contractor rules
The National Association of Realtors is voicing strong support for a proposed federal rule that could bring greater clarity and consistency to how real estate professionals are classified. The proposal, released in February, outlines a revised approach under the Fair Labor Standards Act for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. Read more at the NAR website.
Source: NAR; 5/7/2026

NAR submits comment to Fed on impacts of Fannie, Freddie reform
The National Association of Realtors submitted comments to the Federal Reserve’s Treasury Market Practices Group warning that poorly structured government guarantees in any future overhaul of government-sponsored enterprises could increase financial system risks and raise borrowing costs for consumers, particularly during economic crises.
Source: NAR; 5/4/2026

PA state committee to review 58-year-old Municipalities Planning Code
Pennsylvania's 58-year-old Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) is under review after the state Senate passed Senate Resolution 211 in April, directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to assess the code's effectiveness. The MPC serves as a framework for local land use decisions across the state's 2,555 municipalities (excluding Philadelphia and Pittsburgh), but critics argue its outdated standards — like wide streets and large lots rooted in 1970s assumptions — contribute to a patchwork of development that worsens the state's projected housing shortage. Some legislators who favor the review hope to modernize planning, reduce red tape and encourage regional cooperation, while opponents like Sen. Katie Muth (D-44) worry the process could be biased and ultimately strip municipalities of local zoning control, particularly as data center proposals flood communities. The committee has 180 days to complete its review, though any resulting recommendations will not be binding.
Source: York Daily Record; 5/7/2026

State leaders call for federal disaster assistance following ‘devastating’ crop freeze
Pennsylvania officials are calling for federal disaster assistance after an April 21 freeze caused an estimated $150 to $200 million in losses to the state's specialty crop industry. Temperatures in the low 20s struck fruit trees that had already blossomed due to weeks of preceding warm weather, damaging peaches, cherries, apricots, pears, strawberries, grapes, apples and Christmas trees — with some farmers facing total losses. Gov. Josh Shapiro sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Sec. Brooke Rollins requesting a federal disaster designation and faster damage assessments to help farmers file crop insurance claims. The state is also working with Penn State Extension to assess losses. Lawmakers have pledged to pursue supporting legislation, while pointing to existing programs like the Agricultural Innovation Grant as long-term tools for weather preparedness.
Source: Penn Capital-Star; 5/8/2026 

Middletown approves Logistics Center Overlay District for Superfund site
Middletown Township supervisors approved a zoning change that rezones an 85-acre former landfill at 2011 West Lincoln Highway — a federally designated Superfund site that has been contaminated since at least the 1940s or 1950s — into a Logistics Center Overlay District. The new district allows light manufacturing and logistics fulfillment centers. The petition was brought by Korman Commercial Properties, which must fund its own multi-million dollar remediation of the site (including methane pipes) and secure approvals from both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and federal authorities before any construction can begin. The rezoning prohibits data centers and cold storage, and requires a 200-foot conservation easement along Neshaminy Creek (exceeding the standard 150-foot buffer) that would open over 21 acres for public use. It also mandates detailed traffic and stormwater studies — the latter a concern raised by residents worried about runoff into the creek and nearby flood zones. The site, located across from SEPTA's West Trenton Line and freight rail, is currently the only property in the township large enough to qualify under the new zoning rules, and Korman is reportedly already in discussions with potential tenants.
Source: LevittownNow; 5/11/2026

Historic Almshouse in Doylestown poised to be mixed-use housing
Bucks County will receive $2 million from Gov. Josh Shapiro's office to transform the historic Almshouse in Doylestown Township into a mixed-use development featuring at least 175 housing units alongside commercial spaces, retail, offices, hospitality services and restaurants. The funding comes from Pennsylvania's Mixed-Use Housing Development Pilot Program, part of a broader $10 million statewide investment supporting over 1,400 new homes. The Almshouse opened in 1810 as a refuge for the poor and later served as a nursing home before becoming county office space. The project aims to include both senior affordable housing and middle-income attainable housing, with county and township officials in active communication on the next steps.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 5/11/2026

BCWSA launches new digital billing platform, modifies account numbers
The Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority (BCWSA) launched a new billing platform on May 12, following an 11-day online payment blackout during the system migration. All customers must re-enroll in the new portal and update their account numbers, which have been reformatted to remove the hyphen and trailing number sequence from older bills — meaning anyone using bank auto-pay will need to update their information to avoid rejected payments. Phone and mail payments were unaffected throughout the transition. Full details and enrollment instructions are available at the authority website.
Source: Lower Bucks Times; 5/4/2026

Perkasie Borough looks to fill Third Ward council vacancy
Perkasie Borough Council is accepting applications from Third Ward residents to fill a vacant council seat through Dec. 31, 2027. Applicants must be registered voters residing in the Third Ward and must submit applications to Borough Hall by Tuesday, May 26 — the same evening the council will conduct public interviews and is expected to make an appointment at its regular meeting.
Source: Perkasie Borough

Bucks County tax collectors issue bills despite software failure
Bucks County's 53 tax collectors successfully delivered nearly 250,000 real estate tax bills despite a software failure at the county's board of assessment, where a vendor update broke existing customizations used to compile property data. The glitch delayed the delivery of tax files to collectors until Feb. 25 and 26, leaving many tax collectors with just one or two business days to reconcile data, coordinate with print vendors and proof the bills — a process that normally takes two to three weeks. Despite the crunch, 96% of collectors completed the mailing within four business days of receiving their data, and 45% had bills in the mail by Feb. 27, three days ahead of the legal deadline.
Source: LevittownNow; 5/6/2026 

East Brandywine data center proposal sparks residential zoning concerns
A proposed curative amendment for a 25-acre property at 500 E. Reeceville Road in East Brandywine Township has raised concerns among residents over the potential for industrial-scale data centers in residential areas. The applicant argues the township’s zoning ordinance is invalid because it does not specifically provide for data centers and is seeking to amend the code to allow such facilities “by right” in R-2 residential districts, which opponents say could open the door for similar projects throughout the township without special exception or conditional-use hearings. Residents and former township officials have criticized the proposal as incompatible with the intent of residential zoning, citing concerns over large warehouse-style buildings, increased demands on electricity and water infrastructure, and continuous noise from cooling systems operating around the clock near homes. The East Brandywine Township Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the application on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the township building, 1214 Horseshoe Pike.
Source: Daily Local; 5/4/2026 

Tredyffrin residents worry new Villanova campus could worsen student renter issues
Residents of a neighborhood on Mount Pleasant Avenue in Tredyffrin Township say years of disruptive off-campus partying by Villanova University students renting nearby homes have eroded their quality of life, due to loud parties, trash and traffic. Longtime residents told township officials they fear conditions could worsen when Villanova opens its new Cabrini campus this summer. Tredyffrin adopted a student housing ordinance more than a decade ago that limited household occupancy to three students and prohibited the houses from being too close together, though the properties along Mount Pleasant were grandfathered in. Police say they have increased enforcement, and the township solicitor is working on language that could beef up the ordinance.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 5/12/2026

Kennett Square council nixes bid to reintroduce zoning changes at NVF site
Kennett Square Borough Council rejected Council President Bob Norris’ bid to reintroduce for discussion a draft ordinance that would rezone the National Vulcanized Fiber (NVF) property for high density residential development. The former NVF site includes 24 total acres, with 22 acres along West Mulberry Street at the southwest corner of the borough. Rockhopper and Lennar are the deed holders, according to the Chester County Recorder of Deeds. There is a two-acre ballfield also in play.
Source: Daily Times; 5/9/2026

North Coventry moves toward writing zoning ordinance to deal with data center
North Coventry Township's board of supervisors has authorized Township Manager Erica Batdorf to begin laying the groundwork for a zoning ordinance to address data centers, and it may enact a 180-day moratorium — known legally as a curative amendment — to buy time to get it done. Supervisors Chair Bill Soumis noted that the only area where a data center would currently be permitted is the township's industrial zone, much of which lies in a floodplain, and that no applications are pending — though the township was previously approached about a smaller "boutique" data center off Route 724 that was withdrawn after strong public opposition. State Sen. Katie Muth (D-44) endorsed the curative amendment approach and also highlighted Senate Resolution 211, which directs a bipartisan legislative agency to conduct a comprehensive study of Pennsylvania's 1968 Municipalities Planning Code — a review that will include the growing challenge of data center development and is expected to be completed within 180 days.
Source: The Mercury; 5/12/2026

Kennett Square council unanimously votes to rejoin regional fire commission
Kennett Square Borough Council unanimously voted to rejoin the Kennett Fire and EMS Regional Commission, which was formed in 2017 through an intermunicipal cooperation agreement. Members include East Marlborough, Kennett, Newlin, Pennsbury and Pocopson townships. The regional fire department’s budget is approximately $8.2 million, and the commission funds approximately 50%, or $4.1 million, of the annual budget.
Source: Daily Local; 5/11/2026