Column: Why York voters should approve short-term rental ordinance

A guest columnist wrote an article as “Why York voters should reject short-term rental ordinance.” The argument presented, however, was more of a rallying cry against the perceived tyranny of the Selectboard without any discussion of the ordinance itself. This article will discuss how the proposed ordinance provides a balanced approach to limited regulation of short-term rentals.

First, let me set the record straight. This proposed ordinance was not rushed through by the Selectboard. York first considered a regulation in 2017, but it did not make it to the ballot because of opposition by a small minority. In 2023, the Selectboard asked town planners to develop an ordinance to license short-term rentals in town. Three public hearings (January, February and March) were held to receive input from the public. Most of the public comments from those opposed to the ordinance, echoed by your guest columnist, were that the Selectboard was rushing the ordinance onto the ballot.

York is not the first town in Maine, or in this country, to propose regulations for short-term rentals. Since Airbnb started in 2007, the short-term housing market has exploded. This online platform made it cheaper and easier for property owners to offer a room in their home or a second home for paying guests. But this influx of short-term rentals has not been without its consequences in communities, including York. It has led to concerns about the safety of guests, the impact on neighbors and neighborhoods, and the character of the community as more properties are bought by out-of-state owners and converted to short-term rentals.

The ordinance addresses each of these concerns in a fair and balanced approach:

• Life safety: Requires fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon dioxide alarms, evacuation plans and reasonable egress from bedrooms.

• Neighborhood protections: Limits the number of guests, requires the owner to provide contact information, and creates a reporting structure for excessive noise, open fires and parking concerns.

• Community protections: Requires short-term rentals to be permitted to allow the town to study the impact of short-term rentals on neighborhoods and the town.

The proposed ordinance does not increase taxes, prohibit or limit the number of short-term rentals, or place an excessive burden on Mom & Pop short-term rental owners.

Short-term rentals have always had an important place in providing lodging for visitors to York. If you think it is important that visitors have a safe place to stay, that neighbors are protected from inconsiderate guests, and that the town has the ability to study the impacts on town resources, then I respectfully ask you to vote yes on Article 64.

Kirk Minnick is a resident of the town of York.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Column: Why York voters should approve short-term rental ordinance