SHORT-TERM RENTAL TASK FORCE
- afuturetogether
- Mar 31, 2018
- 2 min read
In March 2018, a Short-Term Rental Task Force (STRTF) was formed by the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee in response to changing regulations and member concerns on behalf of their clients. Short term rentals, or vacation rentals as we have always called them, are not a new phenomenon in the Pocono Mountains and have been a big part of the real estate and vacation industry forgenerations. The advent of the “sharing economy,” including AirBnB, VRBO as well as similar companies has changed and expanded the industry exponentially. As a result, our municipal and homeowner association leaders are dealing with a host of new. The mission is to help local leaders understand the issues while protecting the rights of property owners, whether those are people renting out their homes or neighbors of these properties.
STRTF priorities aimed at helping our region continue to thrive: 1) Facilitate widespread adoption Monroe County’s Model Ordinance for Short Term Rentals 2) Research regulations in other areas to identify what works and what doesn’t 3) Provideeducationonthetopictomembers,communityleaders,andthepublic
STRTF reviewed the Model Ordinance for its efficacy in today’s marketplace and its enforceability and ease of implementation. The STRTF then had several meetings with representatives from the Monroe County Planning Commission, which was the original author of the model document, in order to explain the few changes the realtors recommend. Concurrently, the STRTF planned and held two educational summits for community officials and the public to address concerns regarding short term rentals. They identified, nterviewed and hired national speakers to lead the discussions using data gathered from around the country about finding solutions to problems and important considerations in creating short term rental regulations. The STRTF and PMAR are committed to being thecommunity’s partner in this important issue, as it affects our neighborhoods, property values and our local economy. Realizing how extremely important it is to understand the issue from all sides, the STRTF also held an information-gathering session with local zoning officers to get a better feel for the issues and pressures the municipalities are experiencing.
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