PHILIPSTOWN – Overwhelmed by noise, parking problems and excessive trash, the Philipstown Town Board has scheduled a public hearing to regulate short-term rentals such as Airbnb’s that will require licenses for hosts, rules on behavior of their guests as well as inspections and limits on the number of facilities allowed in town.
The hearing scheduled for October 1 results from what the board said was a “need to preserve the residential and community character of neighborhoods.”
Many properties in greater Philipstown abut the Hudson River, which is a haven for tourism.
In areas zoned for single-family homes, property owners could apply for two-year permits. They could rent up to three properties, provided one serves as their primary residence for at least 260 days a year.
Under the proposed law, every bedroom or sleeping room must be at least 70 square feet, have access to a bathroom and provide two safe exits, including a door or window.
The town would limit the number of guests per room to two, except when the additional person is a young child. Hosts offering bookings for more than four people at once must obtain approval for a minor site plan, and all hosts must have at least $500,000 in liability insurance.
The proposal also states that “hosts “shall use best efforts to ensure that guests do not create unreasonable noise or disturbance, engage in disorderly conduct, violate any provisions of the Philipstown code or violate any law pertaining to disorderly conduct, the consumption of alcohol or the use of illegal drugs.”
Penalties for violating the regulations would be $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 and a rental ban for the rest of the year for a second offense and $5,000 and a four-year rental ban for a third offense.
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