CAIRO — Cairo City Council members are likely to take action on a proposed ordinance that would regulate short-term leasing within city limits sometime next month.

A draft ordinance that would allow the practice of short-term renting through services such as Airbnb appeared before the council Monday night. The council members were asked to review the draft and offer feedback to city attorney Thomas Lehman, who prepared the document.

Lehman said that, if approved, short-term rentals will be treated like businesses within city limits and made to pay an annual license fee.

City Manager Chris Addleton said a first reading of the proposed ordinance will likely take place at the first council meeting next month, scheduled for Feb. 10. That means a vote on the item can possibly take place as early as the following regularly scheduled council meeting on Feb. 24.

Several city council members have stated in recent meetings that constituents have expressed interest in allowing short-term rentals through Airbnb, an online marketplace that allows property owners to rent out space similarly to hotel rooms. Lehman asked the council last month if they had objections to him beginning work on drafting an ordinance which would allow the practice.

As part of his research, Lehman reviewed ordinances from nearby municipalities such as Thomasville and Bainbridge, but also for major cities such as Washington, D.C., which just passed its own Airbnb ordinance last year, as well as Seattle and New York.

The council had previously discussed the idea of allowing short-term rentals through Airbnb in September.