DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Duluth is expanding its oversight of the growing market for vacation rentals and is requiring homeowners to apply for permits if they want to rent out their properties to tourists.

The city’s rules reflect a consensus reached by a statewide task force that studied the burgeoning vacation rental market, the Duluth News Tribune reported Sunday (http://bit.ly/WPhizbhttp://bit.ly/WPhizb ). The focus was to ensure that vacation home rentals are a safe lodging alternative, managed and regulated on a level playing field with other lodging options.