Short-term Rental Regs Continue To Draw Mixed Reactions

BREWSTER – After finalizing a draft report, the short-term rental task force recently held a listening session which revealed mixed feelings among residents on more stringent regulations, inspections and fees on rentals. 

 On Aug. 18, a number of residents attended an open forum designed to aid the short-term rental task force with its charge to evaluate the impacts of short-term rentals on the health, safety and quality of life of residents, on the local economy and on year-round housing availability. 

 The first two participants to speak at the listening session spoke about tumultuous relations with the short-term rentals (STRs) next to or close to their properties. In one case, a three-bedroom home has been rented by parties of up to 18 people. Both year-round owners supported the idea of a town-wide registration system.

Without a clear avenue for complaints, some felt isolated and abandoned when it came to problems regarding STRs. They also worried about the variety of management services for STRs; some owners use a rental agency with licensed realtors while others manage it themselves on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. 

Cindy Roth, a local vacation rental agent with Kinlin Grover, said when owners work with certified real estate agencies to rent their homes during the summer months, the agents are able to manage the property as well as the tenants. Any issues, specifically noise complaints or too many tenants, were handled immediately and situations were rectified so as not to disturb the neighbors, she said. 

Resident Matilda Delano said that STRs reduce the number of homes available for year-round renting or purchase in town. 

“There’s also been an assertion made that short-term rentals are mostly second homes that people intend to retire to at some point and are renting short-term to afford to pay it off,” she said. “If that’s true, these homes will eventually house retirees who will need services and who won’t be working.”

The town cannot only have retirees, remote workers and trust-funders, she said. There needs to be a way for the local workforce, specifically healthcare workers, to afford to live in town. 

Delano suggested a limitation on how many STRs one entity can own. 

A few STR owners wanted the town to help provide a vetting process for year-round tenants, which they would prefer. But others were in opposition to year-round renters because they wouldn’t have the ability to regulate the amount of wear and tear on the house. 

James McGinniss, a year-round Brewster resident and STR owner, was against the entire draft regulations. 

“I object to most of the recommendations of this committee,” he said. “You are required to assess the effect of short-term rentals on the health, safety and quality of life in Brewster. Let’s talk about health. The short-term rentals are probably the cleanest and healthiest dwellings in the town of Brewster.” 

McGinniss said that the state regulations already in place were enough. While he lives very close to his rental, he said that it is up to the STR manager to be responsible. Rentals must be registered with the state revenue office. He argued that if rental owners aren’t doing that, they aren’t going to register with the town either. 

McGinniss added that limiting STRs in town will hurt the economy. They have been a staple of the area for over 100 years, so “don’t fix what isn’t broken,” he said. 

STRs are subject to more frequent inspections than year-round, owner-occupied housing. 

Garran Peterson, a Brewster resident and STR manager, said he moves out of his Brewster home every summer to rent it out. He said this is the only way he can afford to continue to live in town. 

One participant told the task force to solicit more comments from year-round renters because it would be important to hear their side as well. 

Carmel Gilberti, a member of the task force, was against this idea. 

“Come, give us your comments. Come, give us your input. Don’t tell us now to solicit comments because we meet every month with the ability for public comment,” she said.

Many of the questions raised were regarding information that is already public, including where the fees from STRs go. Brewster has a short-term rental tax of 6 percent.

Assistant Town Manager Donna Kalinick said the fees are distributed based on forecast revenue. Half of the tax goes to the Brewster Affordable Housing Trust to provide more affordable housing in town. A quarter goes to a capital stabilization fund, 15 percent to a water quality stabilization fund, and the remaining 10 percent to the annual budget, tied to the select board’s strategic plan. 

 After airing some grievances, resident Chris Powicki thanked committee members for undertaking such a big endeavour. 

“I want to thank the committee members for doing a thankless job on a rather thorny issue here in town,” he said. 

The task force met on Aug. 28 to discuss feedback from the listening session. They will be refining the draft recommendations and bringing an updated report to town meeting in the spring.