The Quogue Village Board is considering modifying an old law that would establish new standards for seasonal rentals in the municipality.
At their monthly meeting on Friday afternoon, board members discussed the proposed changes, one of which includes requiring that a house be rented for a minimum of 14 consecutive days. Presently, there are no restrictions on the amount of time a person can rent a property in the village.
The modified law, which will be discussed at a public hearing on Friday, January 15, starting at 4 p.m., also would prohibit homeowners from renting out a portion of their properties, such as a guest room or a guest house.
“It reinforces the idea that if you are going to rent a property, you have to rent the whole property,” Mayor Peter Sartorius said during last week’s meeting. “So, I’d like to introduce this law and I’d like to get a public hearing for the next meeting of the Board of Trustees.”
Current village law makes transient rentals illegal—but fails to define what that means. The updated law would define such rentals as single-family houses that are rented for less than 14 days at a time.
If the modifications are adopted, legal rentals must be leased for at least 14 days. There is no maximum number of days that a property can be rented, however.
Additionally, the updated law would place similar restrictions on those residents who utilize Airbnb, an online service that allows people to rent individual rooms to travelers, Trustee Ted Necarsulmer explained after the meeting. Village residents will only be able to use the site if they’re wiling to rent their entire property for at least two weeks, he noted.
Board members unanimously approved a motion Friday to hold next month’s hearing so they can receive public input. If the public is on board, members could approve the modified law next month before forwarding it to Secretary of State of New York Cesar A. Perales.
In Southampton Town, a seasonal rental law was similarly amended in 2013 permitting homeowners to rent their homes for a minimum of 14 days. Prior to that change, there was a 30-day minimum on house rentals.
Amanda Bernocco on Dec 22, 2015