The Village of New Paltz is hosting a series of public hearings to address the issue of short-term renting, such as airbnbs, in the Village.
Rental properties in New Paltz can be hard to find and this proposed amendment would affect Village Code Chapter 129: Housing Standards, which would prohibit short-term rentals in residentially zoned districts in hopes to open the market to long-term renters or buyers.
A property is considered a short-term rental if it is a “dwelling unit that is rented, in whole or in part, to any person or entity for a period of less than 29 consecutive nights,” according to the Short-Term Rental Law.
However, this law would not affect “snow birds,” or people who leave their New York home to live in the south for the winter.
“As long as it is your primary residence for nine months per year or longer, then for three months per year or less, it could be rented out as a short-term rental if it’s in one of our residentially zoned districts,” said Mayor Tim Rogers at the Nov. 18 public hearing.
According to the current Short-Term Rental Law, “There is a critical and compelling need to regulate short-term rental use of residential dwellings located in the Village of New Paltz within residentially-zoned districts. These regulations intend to protect the health and safety of Village residents and visitors.”
Board Member KT Tobin said a big reason the Village is looking into this is the “ripple effects of inflationary effects on housing costs. We’re in the county with the highest sales in the whole country. Plus, we were in a housing crisis before the pandemic, and now it’s on steroids.”
The Village hopes this amendment would limit the unregulated tourism in residential districts, “protect housing affordability within the community for long-term residents whether owners or renters” and limit the noise and traffic that a boom of tourists may bring along with them.
While short-term renting would not be allowed in residentially-zoned areas, the amendment would not completely eliminate these properties in New Paltz.
“The idea is to not prohibit short term rentals in the Village of New Paltz, but just have a way to manage where they end up,” Rogers said.
Violators of the Short-Term Rental Law will first receive a written warning. Every violation after the warning will receive “penalties set forth in the Schedule of Fees and Fines established by annual resolution of the Village Board of Trustees.”
This amendment would not affect students who are long-term renters — or anyone who rents a dwelling for longer than 29 consecutive days.
