The Planning and Zoning Commission informally considered the issue of short-term rentals at the end of its meeting Tuesday night. Such rentals have proved problematic in some towns and can be tricky to define and control.
The issue arose when new Zoning Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik asked for guidance from commission members. She said she had received a complaint from a resident about the amount of use a pergola was receiving on a neighboring property. The structure had rarely been used until the property owner started renting the house on the property on a short-term basis.
Commission members noted that Norfolk’s zoning does not specifically address short-term rentals, but that in several places the regulations allow rentals of all or part of a house. For instance, a homeowner can rent up to two bedrooms in their house if they also reside in the building. In another provision, residents are given the right to rent entire their houses without being there. Nowhere do the rules specify a time limit for the rentals.
P&Z chairman Tom Fahsbender said the problem is in defining “short-term.” He pointed out that the commission “can’t just specify Airbnb or Vrbo,” adding that enforcing regulations for short-term rentals is difficult.
He also noted that for some residents the rentals are a needed source of income.
Member Edward Barron noted that the commission had discussed the issue before and “my recollection is that it was determined we were not going to do anything about it right now. But if you do want to think about it, it will be a pretty big issue.”
For example, he pointed to investors in Great Barrington, who have started buying up housing stock specifically to use for short-term rentals on Vbro and Airbnb. “This forces ordinary residents out of the housing market and out of the community,” he said.
As of August 2023, Great Barrington had an estimated 234 active short-term rentals listed on Airbnb and Vrbo. That town regulates short-term rentals, requiring owners to register annually, to rent no more than one structure in Great Barrington, and to limit the rentals to no more than 150 days a year. Short-term rentals are prohibited for corporations, owners of affordable or income-restricted units, and owners of properties with outstanding violations.
There are currently 10 to 12 short-term rentals in Norfolk, Sefcik said, which can range from a day to a more prolonged visit.
In other business, the commission granted special permits for the construction of a large solar array at 400 North Street and for an accessory building (barn) larger than the primary building at 542 Greenwoods Road East.
At the end of the meeting, Fahsbender announced he will leave the commission following the December meeting. Vice Chairman Christopher Schaut said he would assume the chairmanship if the commission so desires.
Updated November 14