Beacon takes comment on proposed Airbnb rules
Dozens gathered turned out Monday evening to express concerns to the City Council regarding possible regulation of Airbnb rentals in the city.
The council is investigating the short-term rental industry in Beacon, where bookings for Airbnb rentals reportedly jumped by 62 percent in 2017.
Ulster County recently hired a firm to scour online short-term rental platforms like Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway, to compile rental information for the county, with an eye to county taxation and possible regulation by host municipalities.
Town of Hurley Supervisor John Perry has said he favors restricting shortterm rentals to the a portion of state Route 28 within the township.
Responding to resident complaints, the town of Woodstock Town Board is moving to develop regulations for the rentals.
Sean Touhig, an Airbnb landlord, attended the Beacon hearing with his girlfriend to discuss his positive experiences with Airbnb.
“We’re here to dispel some of the myths that people have about (Airbnb),” he said. “I think it should be regulated, but not so strictly that average people can’t share their homes and make some extra income.”
Touhig defended being an Airbnb landlord, along with Seth Borgias, who said that being an Airbnb owner has economic benefits for him and for those who stay in his home while he is traveling for work.
“Short-term guests keep shops and businesses alive, and families want to stay together in a way hotels can’t accommodate at any price,” Borgias said. “I’m self-employed and having this is a safety net is vital for my financial security. It keeps me from foreclosure.”
Arguing for stricter regulations on Airbnb rentals in Beacon was Elaine Ciaccio, who started a petition in her neighborhood that she presented to the City Council.
“It wants to ban nonowner occupied short-term rentals so that people don’t live next to a hotel in their neighborhood,” Ciaccio said. “I suppose it’s within people’s rights to rent out their home, but it does affect our apartment rental market.”
The issue of regulating Airbnb rentals in Beacon was first considered three years ago, but the council ultimately deferred to state Legislature, which passed a law that at the time only applied to New York City.
Some of the questions council members will consider as they work on legislation include whether to define Airbnb rentals as homes or businesses, how to control disruptions in the neighborhood and how far apart Airbnb homes should be from one another.