Nantucket eyes short-term rental restrictions

Nantucket is a popular vacation destination, but a proposal would make it harder for visitors to find lodging — and for homeowners to make a few extra bucks.

Residents of the Massachusetts island will vote on Warrant Article 60 at the annual town meeting on May 6, Boston.com reported. The legislation would restrict short-term rentals in residential areas of the exclusive enclave.

Sponsored by a lifelong resident, the measure would change the zoning law to ban short-term rentals in residential areas, though there are a couple of exceptions. Homeowners would be able to rent their properties if they are used as a residence for longer than a rental.

Proponents of the measure say it will prevent the commercialization of the island as investors proliferate across the neighborhoods. The unregulated nature of many short-term rentals is also a concern for some residents.

On the other side of the debate, opponents fear the measure would harm the local economy and be difficult to enforce. Because of the nature of the island, there are also many who cannot live there year round as not all properties are winterized. That means those who can’t live at their properties for six months won’t be able to rent them out, either.

Among the opponents to the legislation is short-term rental operator Vrbo, which said in a statement that it would have a “devastating effect” on the local community and tourism economy.

Town leaders are opposing the resolution, at least for the time being. They have commissioned a working group to study the impact of short-term rentals in Nantucket and make a recommendation, but the working group isn’t set to deliver its results until the fall.

Nantucket is far from alone in attempting to curtail short-term rentals in its jurisdiction. Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Great Barrington started requiring short-term rental hosts to pay a $200 annual registration fee, leaving owners balking at another roadblock to rent out their homes.

— Holden Walter-Warner