A crowd packed the Southold Town Hall meeting room last night, filling every seat, standing up against the back wall and spilling out into the hallway, waiting for their chance to make their voices heard on a new draft of the short-term rental code that would impose a limitation of no less than 14 nights.
But, after nearly four hours of heartfelt and impassioned viewpoints on all sides of the controversial issue, the town board took no action.
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said the board would think about all that was said and discuss it when they convened again in two weeks.
For months, the issue has sharply residents, with some crying out for shorter minimums and others saying at least 14 nights or longer will help preserve quality of life in residential neighborhoods.
Some residents were seen out this weekend, hanging flyers in support of a less-restrictive minimum number of nights.
The planning board said they supported the 14-night minimum, with an eye toward protecting quality of life for residents.
Councilman Bob Ghosio said over 80 letters had come in and been made part of the record.
Russell asked that speakers be succinct. “Please refrain from applause and heckling,” he said.
Councilwoman Jill Doherty said the hearing was to define transient rentals, not to establish a rental law.
The hearing kicked off with an East Marion couple who insisted a 14-night minimum was essential; they’d moved to the North Fork to live in a quiet area, not a party destination, they said, but sites such as airbnb have “transformed once quiet neighborhoods into commercial operations, lining the pockets of absentee landlords. Make no mistake about it — a paradigm shift in short term rentals is occurring.” They said they hoped the board would adopt the 14-night minimum as a first step and then move toward a comprehensive rental plan.
Jeanne Cooper of Greenport said she fully supported the law but did not feel it went far enough and said a 30-day minimum was more in keeping with the area’s traditional summer rentals that have existed on the North Fork for generations. She said she worried that owners who were reliant on renting their homes might not be financially capable of maintaining the properties and said supporting them should not be done “on the backs of our community. If they can’t afford to keep the house they should sell it. Put it back into the housing pool. I feel absolutely strongly about that. We don’t need to be subsidizing home ownership of people who can’t, perhaps, afford their homes.”
Cutchogue attorney Abigail Field, representing two dozen homeowners who rent out the properties, said while the issue is perceived as a new “internet phenomenon,” in fact, the issue has existed for generations. She quoted a biography of a woman written in the 1800s who discussed Orient “overrun” with visitors from New York. “The point is, what’s old is new,” she said. “This is not a unique problem or internet phenomenon. It’s years of tensions between visitors and locals.”
She added, “This proposal is an attempt to stop vacation rentals, not regulate them.” Field said the town has a “poor enforcement track record” and said the town could either “beef up” code enforcement capacity and “go after nuisance properties using town laws” or, as she has stated in past months, create a rental registry and permit process, something her clients would embrace, she said.
“My clients hired me because they want to be law abiding. We are trying hard to affect law that works and that can be obeyed. If you pass this you will lose my clients. Nuisance houses, that don’t care, that might be at risk of creating Montauk madness, they’ll find a way.”
The fear, many of her clients said, is that if the board adopts the 14-night minimum, guests might start subletting the rental and the owners would lose all control over vetting those staying in their homes. As it stands, they said they’re able to Google potential renters before agreeing to the stay.
On the flipside, Maryann Fleishman of Cutchogue, born and raised in Southold Town said she bought her house 16 years ago and has 13 months left on her mortgage. She said she’s an airbnb hostess, adding, “No, I will not sell it. I resent that, living in my hometown, I’m being told, ‘If you don’t like it, move.’ Give me a break.”
She added that as a local, she’s seen many changes. “Manhattan has come to the North Fork, and so have Manhattan prices. Local people can’t afford to live here because we have been Manhattan-ized.”
Fleishman said she relies on airbnb rentals to make ends meet. When she heard the board was now considering a 14-night minimum, “I almost fell off my seat,” she said, adding that the onus should be put on the landlord.”If we screw up, do something about it.”
Marilyn Marks, who owns a B&B in Southold, said much is done by tourism organizations to draw visitors to the East End. With only 600 lodging units available on the North Fork, when a festival such as the Tall Ships event is held, bringing in more than 20,000 guests, “Where are they to go?” she asked. If lodging is not offered on the North Fork, many will head to large hotels in Riverhead, where she said other hotels could also be built. Her B&B has lost business to these large hotels, she said. She said those who stay overnight spend more locally than day trippers.
In addition, she said, those looking to stay in short term rentals are largely families, with grandparents, kids and pets.
“Rather than viliying vacation rentals, realize their worth, if properly regulated,” she said. Marks added that the board is “short on facts and asked the board for transparency in the final process.
Mary Emerson married a Southold resident eight years ago; today, they do not live in their house because they have a special needs child and have to be close to the care he’s able to access. Down the road, they hope to move back. When the couple listed their house with a realtor, they had no takers; a year round renter found on Craigslist left them with thousands of dollars in damages, she said. When she turned to airbnb, she said the bookings came in immediately. So far, they’ve had 100 “lovely families”. She said she could feel the heat of government on her neck. “An intrusive government and special interests are foisting this law on law-abiding citizens,” she said. One, two and three day rentals are critical, she said. “This is my private property. We bought it and we can do what we want with it as long as it doesn’t interfere with your peaceful enjoyment of your home.”
She added that while she did not pay tourism taxes, the couple paid a surcharge to airbnb, who promotes the North Fork around the world. “Our people come in and want to live like a local. They don’t want to trash the place. They want to live your experience for two or three days.”
Greenport’s Mike Corso said 50 years ago, his parents began bringing his family to the North Fork from Roslyn. Now, he and his wife found a “dream home” that they bought and rent for a few weeks to help pay for taxes and maintenance. He spoke of the friendships they’ve made and said guests come from all over to enjoy the beauty of the area. “I”m speaking for the silent majority,” he said, adding with 400 vacation rental properties on the North Fork, there are likely over 1,600 neighbors, thousands who are not complaining and say the short term guests are quiet and respectful. In the 70s, he said, Greenport had fallen on hard times, but today has emerged as a popular destination. “We are blessed and we should be thankful we walk this wonderful earth every day on the North Fork. Sometimes we make big issues out of things that just don’t deserve that much time.”
East Marion’s Linda Goldsmith said the area’s infrastructure is not adequate to handle the explosion of tourism and said the town board has to look at the total picture before making a decision.
“Rentals is what saved my butt,” said Patricia Walker of Southold, who said she hopes to retire to the area but needs to work in the city and rents to help meet costs, especially after damage due to Sandy. She said summertimes means communities filled with friends, guests and visitors. “It’s summer, for pete’s sake.”
Her voice filled with tears, Danielle Strauss said the house her father built on the North Fork means everything to her and her siblings. Although they are scattered across the country now, the home “is the place we gather, when we can. I love this house. I love this community. It’s where my parents are buried. If you go to a two-week rental, my fear is I will lose my family home.”
She added that, like so many others who spoke, she Googles renters. “I don’t want my house damaged.” She said she posts stringent rules, such as no parties or pool after 10 p.m. She added that she would not mind registering her home and if there were any complaints, the town could come to her. “I can’t be here all the time but it’s my home. Please think about people like us that might be hurt by changing this. Most people can’t do 14 or 30 day rentals.”
Others said a 30 day rental was critical. One man from Southold said he has a house in his neighborhood with nine cars outside, five in the street and four in the driveway. “This is not the kind of thing we moved to Southold for. We came for a better way of life. We don’t need this in Southold. Let’s keep Southold Town a place we want to live and not leave.”
Another Orient woman who rents her home said changing the law to a 30 or 14 day rental means she’d would have “not one stitch of control”, with tenants subletting the property and a new Fire Island or Montauk emerging. “Tax me, I am happy to do it,” she said, adding that her guests are largely families out to attend weddings or visit friends and relatives. “You’re looking a gift horse in the mouth. This is a gold mine for our town that doesn’t use our services intensely. A weekend and they’re gone.”
Realtor Johanna Lane from Cutchogue said she’s been managing short term rentals since 2003. “This is a tourist economy and this is worldwide. If you don’t allow ‘this’ to continue, I think we’ll have a dramatic effect on our economy.” She said she’d like to see more data about the economic impacts of short term rentals.
“Before you chase me off with pitch forks, let me say that I didn’t just drop out of the sky,” said Laurie Bloom, who said she has deep roots on the North Fork and bought a dilapidated old cottage, using savings to create a beautiful home. She echoed the views of others who said their renters are families who obey the rules and come to savor North Fork life.
Meanwhile, the owner of the Greenporter Hotel in Greenport, in a letter, said she and other hotel and B&B owners expected fair and equal treatment, with those operating short term rentals paying the same taxes and insurance. “Although I support free enterprise, I do not support cronyism.”
Continuing to speak out for almost three hours, many agreed the town is at a crossroads, with the board faced with a decision that will affect the future of Southold.
Realtor Marie Beninati said short term rentals account for less than five percent of the homes in Southold. “We are not being overrun,” she said. She added that if the board supports a 14-day minimum, most short term rentals will be forced out of business and large-scale hotels will come. “Some ingenious hospitality maven will fill the gap we are creating.”
Greenport’s Penny Rudder said her entire family, ages 3 to 93, live in the area and across the street, have a rental home with 10 to 12 occupants and many cars. “We are definitely at a crossroads and my group doesn’t seem to have a lobbyist or an attorney. We are full time residents who spend every penny on the North Fork. Please consider saving Main Street.”
Former Southold Town Councilman Bill Edwards said the legislation proposed won’t solve the problem it addresses but will generate negative consequences; he supported the seven-night minimum and said a 14-day minimum would destroy rental opportunities for those who use the income to cover expenses. Many families coming to the North Fork for weddings or other events prefer to stay together in a rental home, he said. “The proposed two week minimum represents a major and costly incursion on homeowners’ property rights.”
After listening thoughtfully for hours, the board closed the hearing and said they’d weigh all the public input.
