Southold gained attention for considering changes to its town code in regards to short-term rentals, including raising penalties. Apparently, those increased penalties could include jail.
More has been revealed about the legislation under consideration in the North Fork town, Newsday reported. The Suffolk Times reported earlier this month that the Southold town board was considering updates to the town code pertaining to short-term rentals.
The short-term rental law in the town restricts rentals to a minimum of 14 days. Violating the local law can draw a $500 fine.
The proposal under consideration doesn’t appear to change the minimum stay requirement, but it does boost the penalties drastically. If approved, violations of the short-term rental law could be fined by up to $10,000. That penalty could be upped, however, if the lease rate for a shorter duration exceeds that threshold; then the fine could match the lease rate.
That’s only for initial offenses. A second offense could draw a $20,000 fine and the revocation of short-term rental permits. Violators could even face up to 15 days in jail, a longer sentence than the length of a renter’s stay that may have sparked the violation in the first place.
Southold is also looking at banning the separate rental of amenities, such as pools and backyards. Fines for separate rentals start at $3,000 and can also go up to $10,000. That could be damaging to local homeowners, who are offering their pools on Swimply for $40 to $100 per hour.
The proposal also requires homeowners to post their rental permit in their property and to include their rental permit number in advertising and social media posts. The town counts more than 800 listings on Airbnb and nearly 1,000 rentals in the town data, though those are not exclusively short-term properties.
Town supervisor Scott Russell is separately pushing for a couple of other updates, calling for the allowance of shorter leases in commercially-zoned areas, but suggesting the minimum stay should be 30 days in residentially-zoned areas.
Opposing factions have already formed on the proposed changes. Some business owners fear the draconian code update could hinder tourism, while local inn and bed-and-breakfast operators see it as an opportunity to emerge from Airbnb’s long shadow.
A hearing on the proposal is set for the end of August.
— Holden Walter-Warner
Read more
Politics
Tri-State
North Fork eyeing big short-term rental changes
Politics
Tri-State
Hamptons, North Fork pass affordable housing fund