BERLIN– Elected officials introduced an ordinance regulating short-term rentals this week.
On Monday, the Berlin Town Council held a first reading of an ordinance that establishes regulations governing short-term rentals. The ordinance, which will be the subject of a public hearing March 28, is the result of several work sessions.
“I think it’s a little clearer than it was in previous drafts,” Planning Director Dave Engelhart said.
Engelhart told the council he’d worked with Mayor Zack Tyndall, the town attorney and the town administrator to simplify the ordinance following the last work session. As proposed, the ordinance allows short-term rentals in all residential zoning districts and in the B-1, B-2 and B-3 business zoning districts.
“In those business districts it is possible to have dwelling units on the upper floors,” he said.
The ordinance sets an initial application fee of $350 as well as an annual renewal fee of $125. He said the application fee was set at $350 to allow for the cost of the inspections associated with setting up a rental.
“It’s basically all our initial legwork,” Engelhart said. “Our paperwork, our inspections, are the major thing. We have to pay someone to do those for us.”
Short-term rentals will be required to have a responsible agent available for contact 24 hours a day. That agent has to be located with a 30-mile radius of town.
As for parking, the ordinance requires one additional space for each bedroom rented.
Councilman Jay Knerr said he’d checked one of the online rental platforms and found 26 properties available for short-term rentals in Berlin. He pointed out that several of them offered long-term rental of the spaces as well.
“Who’s going to regulate that?” he said.
Sounds like a revenue stream scheme!
You’ll pay more and more in taxes and fees as the years go by – to use your property as you see fit!
Yup
Politicians.
DEMOCRAT politicians.
They always seem to think transactions between citizens ALWAYS need “regulation” and, of course, fees and taxes.
If I want to rent the upstairs of my home to a family for the weekend, why do democrats think there needs to be an “inspection”?
These people (democrat politicians) must spend their otherwise uneventful day looking around for things they haven’t taxed or charged any fees for, or reasons to raise the fees and taxes some more. And, of course, you KNOW they will also levy “fines” for not “complying” with their dictatorial methods.
Jefferson was absolutely correct.
Kill them. Politicians that don’t fear the people are not politicians….they are dictators and Nazi wanna-be’s.
Then, charge their family $5000 for the rope and the citizen efforts to throw their bodies in the ditch for raccoons to eat. Confiscate their house if the payment isn’t prompt (like “in 48 hours”).
Racoons probably wouldn’t touch them, however. They are THAT nasty.
Please stop thinking that voting them out will work in any way.
You’d still get politicians. Look at black people and how much THEY have benefitted from voting for politicians who promise them (for 60 years!!!!!) everything and then F them at every opportunity.
Politicians. Worse than roaches.
And slumlords. Not mentioned in Jefferson’s writings, but while we are cleaning up liars, thieves, and cheating “public SERVANTS, might as well get to them, too.
And we will.
I think it’s a little clearer than it was in previous drafts,” Planning Director Dave Engelhart said.
Thinking? Obtain data for fact. Everyone can think….action requires data. WTF?