Cornwall’s Building Department has had no complaints
It was a hot topic three years ago. Residents complained about neighbors renting their properties for large, noisy parties. One person claimed that it was like living next to a frat house.
After receiving a petition with 38 signatures, the Town Board responded by drafting a short term rental law in 2019. People who rented their property to outsiders for finite periods were required to register their homes with the Town and pay a fee.
There has been no attempt to compare the number of registrations with the number of local people offering rentals through Airbnb. But the law seems to be working.
It included a registration fee that was good for two years. The Building Department was required to inspect a home if the owners rented more than one room or if their rentals amounted to more than 14 days per year. People who rented their property for parties were obligated to appear before the Planning Board.
The following year a pair of violators had their rental privileges suspended for 30 days after a hearing before the Town Board. There had been complaints about their properties and the owners had failed to register them.
Since then the issue has been dormant. There have been no new complaints. And the law has served as a deterrent for out-of-towners who want to purchase a Cornwall property for the sole purpose of renting it to vacationers.
When the prospective home buyer calls the Building Department they hear that the local law requires the rental property to be owner occupied. That usually ends the conversation. After saying “thank you,” the caller is never heard from again.
The owner-occupied clause gives the town more control than if it were dealing with an absentee landlord. So the law appears to be working.
