June 15, 2023 |
Photo – Airbnb property in Saratoga – courtesy airbnb.com
The Saratoga Planning Commission is nearing a decision on short-term rental permits.
During Tuesday’s Saratoga Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, committee members discussed the need to limit short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and VRBO. The members considered if a permitting process would allow the town to better control the number of short-term rentals. Committee chairwoman McCall Burau said the town ordinances are vague about where rental properties are allowed. She said it appears that only homes in a medium residential district, or RD 6000, could be used as rentals. Burau said property owners would still require permission from the zoning commission before renting out their homes.
A special use permit would also require half of all neighbors within 300 feet of the property to give their blessing before the permit could be issued.
Saratoga resident Jimmy Campbell said the planning committee should have a comprehensive file of all short-term rental properties in town. Campbell said the commission needs to ensure that all rental properties are paying the proper taxes and fees required for a commercial business.
The planning commission has a map showing 43 short-term rentals in town. Campbell said the list is incomplete. He said at least seven more rental properties began operating within the last month. Burau said Airbnb keeps track of all users and ensures they pay the county’s lodging tax. However, Burau said renters not associated with an existing rental agency could operate without paying the proper taxes and fees.
Campbell asked if short-term property owners were required to register their homes for commercial use. He said people were making money off short-term rentals and that should be considered a commercial enterprise.
Chairwoman Burau said she would investigate if short-term rental property owners were required to register as a commercial entity with the town.
Before the meeting, Burau gave her fellow committee members a list of reasons why towns would want to limit short-term rentals. Reading from the document, committee member Nancy Ford explained some of the problems the increasing numbers of short-term renters could cause.
Continuing to read from the permitting brochure, Ford said short-term rentals draw customers away from established hotels. She also said a revolving door of short-term tenants could cause friction between neighbors and property owners.
Ford said short-term rentals take lower cost homes off the market. Saratoga resident Campbell said a lack of affordable housing has already taken a toll on the town’s service industry.
Committee chairwoman Burau said the town could control the number of short-term rentals using permits. She said the town could have a maximum number of available permits with residency stipulations.
Burau said she wanted the committee to agree on what a permit should look like and what function it should serve. When that process was complete, Burau said they would hold a series of public meetings to refine the permit.
While the committee works on finalizing the permitting process, they said they’ll ask the town council to place a moratorium on future short-term rentals. Commission member Ford said the committee needs to consult with town attorney Kylie Waldrip to determine what the next step should be.
Citizens at Tuesday’s planning commission meeting agreed that the town needed to do something to curtail the increasing number of short-term rentals. The committee has said they will focus on addressing that concern. It appears likely that permitting is how the town will regulate future short-term rentals.
