Rental rules review expected on Tuesday
Town Board members expect to discuss Tuesday a draft set of regulations for the type of short-term vacation rentals that have become popular through online sites such as Airbnb.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the town offices on Comeau Drive.
Recommendations from an ad hoc committee were discussed during a meeting Dec. 12, at which Councilman Richard Heppner said it’s unclear what rules will be proposed.
“Ideas can range from banning (them) altogether to making it the Wild West,” he said.
Officials have been urged for nearly two years to regulate the land use after receiving complaints about noise and traffic allegedly created by the rentals.
Supervisor Bill McKenna said the regulations may take a while to be adopted.
“Looking ahead, I think this is going to be a twoor three-year discussion, where we may do some things, we may take a step back and make adjustments,” he said. “We’re going to continue to take a look at this. It’s not going to happen in a week or a month.”
Officials, who said there are about 250 short-term vacation rentals in the town, expect that regulations will be based on safety concerns and could include fees for inspections.
“That goes a long way to helping you with your homeowner’s insurance and making sure that you have a safe premises,” McKenna said. “So, really, it is a win-win.”
As part of the process of drafting regulations, board members said, the town has spoken with an attorney for Airbnb.
“He’s been somewhat helpful,” McKenna said. “He’s not shied away from this.”
Short-term rental owner Bill Stokes said a group of Airbnb members would like to provide input on the proposed regulations.
He also said there has been a significant presence by people who have complained about properties being rented through the internet. “I think they’ve been quite vocal,” he said. “I think some of those folks, it seems to me, think that Shangri-La existed here and there was never anybody loud and there were never any parties.”