The Somerset town board is moving forward with plans to regulate short-term rental properties, more commonly known as Airbnbs.
Just like several neighboring towns in Niagara County, Somerset is aiming to get a handle on the vacation rental housing market and the rights of such property owners and their neighbors. The only regulations the town has on the books now pertain to more traditional owner-occupied bed and breakfast establishments, town supervisor Jeff Dewart said.
The issue has come up on multiple occasions when owners of both bed-and-breakfast and short-term rental properties appeared in front of the town Zoning Board of Appeals to obtain a special use permit and operate legally.
Town Attorney David Haylett said he recommended that the town board draft a local law, since Niagara County requires those property owners to register, and other municipalities including Newfane and Wilson have drafted local laws of their own.
In the current draft of Somerset’s law, short-term rental properties including B&Bs would be subject to inspection by the town’s code enforcement department and the owners would pay a $200 annual fee for an operating permit.
While Dewart said there are only “a handful” of those short-term rentals currently operating in the town, he anticipates the number of these properties to continually increase in the future. He believes the town’s close proximity to Lake Ontario could make it a destination for tourists.
“It sounds like more and more Airbnbs want to come in to the town,” Dewart said.
A public hearing on the proposed law will take place at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13, during the town board’s next regular business meeting.