April 13, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
Saratoga’s Planning Commission is undecided on how best to handle short-term rental properties.
Online short-term rental companies, such as Air BnB and Vrbo, have become increasingly popular over the past few years. With more homes in residential neighborhoods being converted to rentals, Saratoga’s Planning Commission Chairwoman McCall Burau asked if action was needed.
Burau said she wasn’t clear what problem a short-term rental permitting process would solve. She said the town ordinance, a property owner might be violating, is operating a hotel in a non-business zone.
Burau said the community’s main concern is, given the tight real estate market in Saratoga, converting homes to short-term rentals limits the number of permanent residents. Burau said she doesn’t think the town has the right to regulate private property.
Mayor Chuck Davis said he agrees regulation isn’t the answer. He said a permitting process, similar to the town’s food truck ordinance, might help keep track of how many short-term rental properties are operating.
As of the reporting of this story, Saratoga has approximately 42 short-term rental properties.
A certain percentage of Saratoga residents live in town only during summer months. The rest of the year, their homes sit vacant. Mayor Davis said they should have a right to rent their properties when they aren’t in use. He said he does, however, have a problem with businesses buying multiple houses specifically to be used for short-term rentals.
Jon Nelson, of North Fork Engineering, said the town does not have enough hotel rooms to support the large numbers of visitors, Saratoga sees on some weekends. He said short-term rentals provide additional beds.
Mayor Davis said short-term rentals may make affordable homes less available, but the town doesn’t have a right to dictate what a person does with their property. Burau said permitting and regulation may not be the answer. However, a time may come when short-term renters outnumber permanent residents.
In the end, no plan was agreed upon. Burau said she will do more research and bring additional ideas to the next planning commission meeting on May 10th.
