West Windsor is the latest town to adopt an ordinance regulating short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs or VRBOs.
The select board last month approved the new zoning regulation that requires property owners to register with the town every year.
Select Board Chairman Mark Higgins says the town has seen a big increase in short-term rentals since a local mountain bike and trails system opened nearby, and the board adopted the ordinance to address a housing shortage.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a housing issue,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e trying to figure out how a mountain, a hotel, a general store and STRs all work together to make sure this place stays vibrant.鈥�
The number of , according to the most recent data 鈥� and since the pandemic, it's more than doubled.
West Windsor is near the Mount Ascutney trail system, as well as the tourist town of Woodstock.
鈥淲e have a lot of people who love to come here,鈥� said Higgins. 鈥淭his is a land of second homes, but there鈥檚 a difference between enjoying it and monetizing it, so we鈥檙e trying to find the line between those two things.鈥�
This is a land of second homes, but there鈥檚 a difference between enjoying it and monetizing it, so we鈥檙e trying to find the line between those two things.Mark Higgins, West Windsor select board chairman
Under the new ordinance, which will start in May 2025, local operators would pay an annual fee of $150 per bedroom, while operators who do not live nearby would pay $300 per bedroom.
鈥淚鈥檓 not really a fan of charging more based on residential status,鈥� said Julie Marks, the Vermont Short Term Rental Alliance executive director. 鈥淗owever, that price point, I think, is absolutely reasonable.鈥�
Marks says her group does not oppose local ordinances, but says they try to get members to engage with local select boards while the ordinance is under discussion to support what she calls 鈥渞easonable鈥� regulations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very nuanced industry, and new to a lot of these markets,鈥� Marks said. 鈥淭here a lot of folks who are unfamiliar with how it works, so we鈥檙e very supportive of short-term rental operators to get involved with the conversation as early on as possible.鈥�
The state enacted a 3% tax on short-term rentals in August, largely to address the education tax increase property owners saw this year.
Marks says more than 20 towns in Vermont have adopted local short-term rental ordinances.
Corey Dockser contributed the data visualization to this story.
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