The village board has left open the hearing on regulating New Paltz short-term rentals. The proposed law would require registration and inspection like any other rental, and would restrict full-time short-term rentals to the village’s commercial and business districts. Those wishing to rent some or all of a house in a residential zone must provide proof that they live in the building at least nine months of the year.
Mayor Tim Rogers said that a methodical approach is being taken. Some of those weighing in do not see a need for regulation, while others feel it is long overdue. The rationale for the rules, Rogers explained, was that hotels and motels are not allowed in residential districts, and short-term rentals can be similar in their character and impacts. Restricting the use in residential areas to those buildings in which a resident acts as host most of the time is intended to prevent hotel-style rentals in inappropriate areas, while allowing giving those property owners the possibility of earning extra income/
Real-estate agent Mike Henry expressed concern that this law could pose a difficulty for people purchasing a second home in New Paltz with the long-term intention of living there, They would struggle to cover two mortgages under this set of rules.