03/28/2024
Rhinebeck is holding a public hearing on April 8th before voting on their ban for all short term rentals that are NOT the primary residence of the host and NOT owner occupied. We need all the support we can get to let the town board know this is BAD for Rhinebeck.
This is bad for small business owners who do the work on our houses, bad for the many restaurants and stores that depend on local tourism, and bad for the visitors who will be driven to other towns - where they will spend their money. This move will hurt Rhinebeck's local economy and we need locals to rally in support of allowing non-owner occupied and non primary residence short term rentals!
Most short term rentals attract families with kids that a hotel isn't suitable for, vendors and attendees of the many festivals at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds for which the local hotels aren't suitable for (such as the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival), and people looking to immerse themselves in a different experience (quaint town, cabin in the woods, secluded property, countryside farmhouse etc) - most of which won't want an owner on premises breathing down their necks. Those who want to stay in a hotel already do.
Other towns have allowances for non owner occupied / non primary residences and Rhinebeck is being incredibly stubborn on this point and it seems like a personal bias (Elizabeth Spinzia, who is spearheading this, stated in the town board meeting on March 8th that she "hates Airbnb" as a company).
Renting homes for short term rentals pre-existed VRBO and Airbnb. Since only 4% of the housing market are actually STRs, this is not the cause of the housing shortage or congestion in town.
Please reach out to all the hosts you know, any of the people who do the work on your homes, and anyone who this affects and let them know we need their voices HEARD on April 8th! Those who can't attend can email the board their thoughts. There is strength in numbers!
In 2022, Rhinebeck tabled the idea of limiting STRs to primary residences due to a federal court ruling in Louisiana that deemed it unconstitutional to discriminate against homeowners that don't use the residence as their primary residence and that such a regulation violates interstate commerce laws: https://content.next.westlaw.com/practical-law/document/I848cf7f223b011ed9f24ec7b211d8087/Fifth-Circuit-Strikes-Down-New-Orleans-Short-Term-Rental-Restriction?viewType=FullText&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default) #:~:text=(National%2FFederal)-,The%20United%20States%20Court%20of%20Appeals%20for%20the%20Fifth%20Circuit,City%20of%20New%20Orleans%2C%20No.
In a recent article, the board members addressed their 180 turn on this:
"Proposed regulations were discussed at a meeting Monday after being shelved 19 months ago because a court in Louisiana found that out-of-town restrictions discriminated against interstate commerce.
That determination has not been taken seriously in New York, said Town Attorney Warren Replansky after the session.
“Most municipalities in New York are kind of ignoring that decision,” he said. “It’s not necessarily binding on the towns. So, we’re going to move forward.”"
The town board is very closed-minded to outsiders, so we need locals to rally, which is why we really need to get those who are impacted - not just hosts - to speak up against this decision. It is their livelihood, and also their tax dollars going to code enforcement and the MANY lawsuits the town will become embroiled in.
We are not against regulating and "legalizing" Airbnbs (despite them being legal to Dutchess County). We are against the blatant discrimination exhibited by the board against second homeowners and their violation of interstate commerce laws.
There needs to be a compromise like surrrounding towns have done, such as allowing a certain % of rentals to be second homes/non owner-occupied or capping the number of allowed permits for non-primary residents, or capping the number of STRs per owner vs outright banning such Airbnbs.
Please get the word out to everyone you think can help benefit our case!
Hudson Valley Pilot The Daily Catch Dutchess Tourism, Inc. New York State Sheep and Wool Festival Rhinebeck Area Chamber of Commerce Terrapin Restaurant Bia—Rhinebeck Pete’s Famous Restaurant Rhinebeck The Amsterdam - Rhinebeck, NY Gigi's Momiji Sushi Steak House & Bar aroi Thai Restaurant Pretty To Think So RhineCellar - Rhinebeck, NY Smokey Rock Bbq in Rhinebeck Ny Samuel's Sweet Shop Buns Burgers ALL THAT JAVA Foster's Tavern C. Cassis Rhinebeck Farmers Market Rhinebeck Vinyl Vault Megabrain Comics Rhinebeck Bagels Bread Alone Rhinebeck Wine & Liquor The Kroeg Rhinebeck CJ's Italian Restaurant and Pizza Del's Roadside Rhinebeck Pizzeria Posto of Rhinebeck Osaka Japanese Restaurant The Tasting Room Rhinebeck Market ST. Matchbox Cafe Cinnamon Indian cuisine Gigi Hudson Valley Gaby's Winter Sun & Summer Moon Periwinkles At Rhinebeck Oblong Books - Rhinebeck Hammertown Barn Inc Cabin Paper Trail Old Mill Wine & Spirits Cheese Louise, NY The Epicurean Café Con Leche Kips Tavern
