The Ames city council has given final approval to a rental occupancy cap that includes hardship exemptions. The council Tuesday night added an exemption for owner-occupied homes with a renter. First ward member Gloria Betcher opposed the move, saying it could undermine the cap. The council initially voted down the exemptions but a procedural move by at-large member Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen brought back the proposal. Property owners have until September 1st to apply for a rental permit but exemptions to the cap can be issued under certain circumstances. The rental cap applies to seven neighborhoods near the ISU campus.