Ostego is looking at regulations surrounding short-term home rentals

Ostego Village Board members recently had another round of discussions about the feasibility of regulating short-term home rentals for transient visitors through companies such as Airbnb and Vrbo.

Currently, the village does not regulate short- or long-term home rentals. Village officials said there are about six short-term rental apartments available in Ostego listed on Airbnb and Vrbo.

After the discussion, councilors did not vote on this matter.

Trustees as a whole committee debated the length of the minimum stay for a short-term rental property, with the consensus leaning toward a seven-night minimum versus three or 30 nights.

“I would like to see the minimum stay longer,” said board member Tom Guist. “I wouldn’t want that in my neighborhood, and I don’t think most neighborhoods would want to have Airbnbs next to each other and the ability to have a constant flow of different guests, especially if you have kids.”

According to village officials, Naperville requires a minimum 30-day rental period.

“Naperville is right,” Guist said.

Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange advocated for a seven-night minimum. She said her family occasionally rents Airbnb, most recently for a weekend in Wisconsin to celebrate her child’s college graduation.

“It was the perfect amount of time and just what we needed for our group of five,” she said.

Trustees also considered whether to require short-term rental owners to pay a $2,000-a-year registration fee or require a license that could be revoked after three violations of village regulations. Both could potentially enable on-site inspections.

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.