Short-term rental rule breakers: who will be the enforcer?

The town of Monroe’s public hearings for certain short-term rental properties prompted discussion on how laws should be enforced and the possibility of looking to nearby municipalities for guidance.

During the public hearing for the short-term rental application of the property located at 13 Ruby Road, the neighbor, who resides at 14 Ruby Road, expressed his disappointment that the neighboring property would be used as a short-term rental. He explained that he owned 13 Ruby Road at one time and when he sold the property, he assumed it would be a family home and not be used as a “motel.”

He outlined some of his challenges with 13 Ruby Road, including people parking on his property and the fact that the two homes have a shared driveway. He further asked the short-term rental application be denied.

The representative for the applicant countered that the property has four off-street parking spaces as required by town code. He said it was his first time hearing about parking on neighboring property. He also noted that there is a reasonable degree of privacy between the two properties.

The board agreed to keep the public hearing for the 13 Ruby Road short-term rental application open until June 3.

The board also heard public comments for the short-term rental application for 649 Lakes Road. The representative for the applicant pointed to photos and videos shared with the board to demonstrate privacy and discussed the possibility of taking additional steps to mitigate concerns.

Ramon Carrion, who resides at the neighboring dwelling, shared that his concern was about privacy between his property and the applicant’s property. He shared that he was not against short-term rentals but was concerned about the enforcement of rules and whether the owner would be mindful of such issues as noise, garbage, and other disturbances.

“Something has to be done about this in terms of enforcement of the code,” said Carrion, who suggested using taxes to ensure compliance of short-term rental owners.

The town board agreed that there needs to be a system of enforcement and discussed what other municipalities have done.

Councilwoman Dorey Houle shared that she has spoken with several town supervisors about their efforts in enforcing short-term rental regulations, noting the idea of having a designated individual to take on that role. Councilwoman Maureen Richardson added that fees generated as part of the enforcement process could be put toward preservation and other town needs.

The board agreed that it would need their attorney to review short-term rental taxes and research what other towns have done in terms of fees. Furthermore, it closed the public hearing for 649 Lakes Road but did not render a decision on the application due to their expressed need to review the evidence provided.

During the meeting, the board announced that it received a petition asking for a zoning change to a portion of Larkin Drive. According to the petition, the owner of the land wishes to change the designation to heavy industrial for the purpose of retail development. A public hearing for this matter was set for July 15.