Vt. lawmakers set sights on short-term rental market - WCAX

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JERICHO, Vt. (WCAX) - Tourism is a $3 billion industry in Vermont and a lot of that money is spent on lodging. While hotels and many bed and breakfasts are regulated by the state, there are also many private, short-term rentals that are not. Now, some lawmakers say it’s time to get everyone on the same page.

Vermont’s quaint towns and villages are frequented by millions year-round. Many of those visitors in the last decade have swapped traditional lodgings for unique, short-term rental experiences like Julie Marks’ two-bedroom cabin in Jericho.

“It can be a temporary occupation or it can be a vital lifeline for some people,” Marks said.

Many of those short-term rentals through websites like Airbnb and VRBO have gone largely unregulated. They don’t face the same rules and requirements hotels and established bed and breakfasts do, including fire safety rules and code inspections.

A new bill in the Legislature aims to create a statewide registry for short-term rentals and require property owners to live on-site at least 270-days a year. Sponsors say it’s about leveling the playing field.

“Something that is not your homestead is in fact a business. And you may convert that into a hotel, you may convert that into a hotel, a bed and breakfast, whatever it is, but that is a business that should be regulated as such,” said Rep. Emilie Kornheiser D-Brattleboro.

The requirement wouldn’t affect Julie Marks since she’s lives on the homestead year-round. But she and 500 other short-term rental owners are opposing the measure, saying it will put many out of business who rent out more than one home.

Julie Marks outside her short-term rental in Jericho.(WCAX)

The issue of regulation has been magnified during the pandemic, raising the concerns of neighbors. Richard Sedlack lives near Mount Snow in West Dover, down a private road from an Airbnb that he says sleeps 15 and is owned by an out-of-state couple. He calls it a party house and says that those who have flocked there block traffic on his road and disregard the state’s gathering and quarantine rules.

“New year’s week and Christmas week they had cars from three different states including California -- in a van. The house was so full they had people sleeping in the van. This is a zoo,” Sedlack said.

Back in Jericho, Julie Marks says the vast majority of short-term rental owners want to be good neighbors, but she’s concerned the state is moving too fast without seeing the full scope of proposed regulations. “There is not enough data that really understands the short-term rental landscape in Vermont to understand the consequences,” she said.

The details of the bill are still being hammered out and it’s unclear if it will pass this session. But sponsors say it’s the beginning of a conversation in regulating this emerging industry.

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Vt. lawmakers set sights on short-term rental market - WCAX

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