Supervisor candidate urges Airbnb safety inspections
Carl Belfiglio, an Ulster County legislator who’s running for town of Esopus supervisor, is urging town officials to subject short-term rental properties, like those advertised on Airbnb.com, to safety inspections.
Speaking at a board meeting Wednesday, Belfiglio, a Republican, said he’s been misunderstood as opposing the short-term rentals of Esopus properties via the internet.
“People think that I advocate banning Airbnbs, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said. “I think Airbnbs are a necessity in our town, just like any town in Ulster County. They are an alternative for short-stay people who are coming here for the weekend or a week.”
Belfiglio noted that he’s used short-term rentals on trips.
“A lot of the Airbnbs are unique,” he said. “It’s an experience that people can live in someone’s home ... and experience the beauty and natural surroundings of that town.”
The Esopus Town Board has been reviewing recommendations from the town’s code enforcement officer for regulations to include when developing a law that covers short-term rentals. The suggestions include restricting the hours of operations, requiring parking spaces for guests, basing permits on the size of a dwelling, limiting the length of stays, implementing noise limits, restricting signs and limiting rentals to specific zoning districts.
Belfiglio said the number of people staying at a given home also must be regulated.
“We want to be sure that the occupancy rate for an Airbnb is commensurate with what the apartment or the house can hold,” he said.