Billy Adams for Stowe

Short-Term Rentals

Managing Short-Term Rentals (STRs): The STR ordinance, effective May 2025, represents a significant step in establishing a registry of all STRs in Stowe. It’s vital that its implementation is successful and aligns with its core objectives: providing emergency contact information for all STRs for our Fire Department and gathering meaningful data to inform future policy on STRs.

Moving forward, the focus should be on:

  • Ensuring Complete Registration: Achieving full registration of all STRs in Stowe. This data is essential for understanding the scope of STR activity and informing future discussions about STR management. The registration process must be as simple and user-friendly as possible, providing clear instructions and readily available support.
  • Collecting Meaningful Data: The data collected must be relevant and useful. This includes not only basic registration information but also data points that will help clarify the impact of STRs on our community. It is vital to track the performance of the designated emergency contact persons component of the registry, to evaluate the impacts the response of the fire service to emergency call outs at STR properties.
  • Maintaining Open Communication: Transparency and open communication with STR owners are paramount. Owners must be kept informed about the registration process, the data the town is collecting, and how that data will be used. The municipality must be receptive to their feedback and address any concerns they may have. This includes regular communication and readily accessible resources.
  • Honoring the “Light-Touch” Approach: This ordinance was presented to the community as a registry, not a heavy-handed regulatory framework. The municipality must honor and respect this promise and understanding and avoid implementing additional regulations without thorough community engagement and a clear demonstration of need. Expanding beyond the original intent could erode trust and create unnecessary burdens for homeowners.
  • Data-Driven Future Discussions: The data collected through the registry will be crucial for informing any future discussions about STR regulations. The municipality should use this data to understand the actual impacts of STRs on our community and to guide any potential policy changes. Any expansion of regulations should be based on solid evidence and should be carefully considered to avoid unintended consequences.
  • Balancing Community Needs: While respecting homeowner rights, the municiality must also consider the needs of the broader community. This includes addressing concerns about noise, parking, and neighborhood character. However, any solutions must be data-driven and carefully balanced to avoid overly restrictive measures.

By focusing on complete registration, meaningful data collection, and open communication, while adhering to the original intent of the ordinance, we can effectively manage STRs in a way that benefits Stowe without unduly burdening homeowners. We must remember that this is a process, and we should proceed deliberately, ensuring that any future changes are based on solid evidence and broad community consensus.

In my last term on the Selectbaord, during the ordinance process, I presented an alternative approach to manage and regulate STRs using our Zoning Bylaws. While some of this may no longer be applicable, it sheds light on my thinking at the time. The STR Ordinance alone is insufficient to effectively manage STRs. I will continue to advocate for the appropriate use of land use laws to manage the use of residential property in Stowe. You can find that presentation here: Management and Regulation of Short-Term Rentals.