Officials pressing ahead revamping short term rental minimum despite opposition

Later this year, the Greenport Village Board is expected to introduce a new code update proposal on short term rentals that would establish a 30-day minimum on vacation rentals, while allowing permit-holding residents to rent their homes for a two-week span twice in any given year.

A previous proposal would have simply set the minimum stay on a short-term rental at 30 days, but that plan met with vigorous opposition, mostly from short-term rental permit holders.

At a special work session on the issue last week, board members also said that if the new proposal passes, a long-term rental permit would cost $250 for two years, while a short-term rental permit would cost $500 annually. Long-term rental is defined in village code as occupancy with a written lease for a period of one year or longer.

There is currently no minimum on the number of nights a home in the village can be rented out by shortterm rental permit holders, giving Greenport the distinction of having the most liberal short-term rental laws on the East End.

In the surrounding Town of Southold, the short-term rental minimum is 14 days, with first offense fines running from $3,000 to $5,000. In Riverhead, the minimum stay is 30 days, and first offense violators can be fined between $500 and $1,500.

Under current village code, shortterm rental owners must obtain a village permit, which has to be renewed every two years. Permits are issued for single-family homes renting a portion of the house, or two-family homes in which one unit is occupied by either the owner or a long-term tenant.

The latest proposal, which is being drafted by the village attorney’s office, is expected to be the subject of new public hearings later this summer or early in the fall, Mayor Kevin Stuessi said after last week’s meeting.

At several previous public hearings on establishing a 30-day minimum on short-term rentals, homeowners who rent out all of or part their properties, as well as some local business owners, adamantly opposed the plan — with one opponent asking village officials how many people they know who can take 30-day vacations.

Last summer, Mr. Stuessi told The Suffolk Times that there were 346 active rental permits in a village with fewer than 1,000 parcels, including commercial properties.