I had a good chat with Lakewood Mayor Randy Holcomb and trustee Ellen Barnes not too long ago about the effort to regulate short term rentals in the village.

Although the vast majority of rental occupancies are successful, it’s no secret problem rentals are on the rise across the country, and Lakewood is no exception. At a village meeting last year that focused on the rental question, several neighbors confessed their lives had been disrupted by transient tenants, even in the off season. Also of note was the preponderance of investors buying up village houses solely for the purpose of renting them, which meant there were no stakeholders living behind those doors–people who care about and contribute to the community. These houses sit dark and empty for much of the year.

How to effectively regulate home-sharing and short-term rentals has become one of the hottest topics among local government leaders across the country. In fact, at one of the recent National League of Cities conference in Nashville, TN, there were more presentations and work sessions dedicated to this topic than to any other topic.

Finding a balanced solution to these issues can be a struggle, and one that inevitably makes someone unhappy. My concern is that families have been renting cottages on our lake for centuries, giving them access to vacation time with family, fresh air, fishing, and all that our region has to offer. Cottage rentals are the great equalizer, offering a slice of lake life to people who do not own their own vacation homes. Disallowing these kinds of rentals ensures that only the wealthy have access to our shoreline–a sad testament to shorelines all over the world.

I get the sense that Holcomb understands this. He’s also aware many people rent their houses to offset exorbitant property taxes in New York State, along with other expenses. He assured me the village board is taking an open-minded approach to the short term rental issue and is confident they can come up with a plan that makes sense. Whatever plan they do come up with will be important on many levels, not the least of which is that other lake communities will be watching and looking to see what the village does, perhaps to use as their own template.

The village board has hired Bergmann, a national company that has experience helping communities iron out short term rental issues. A community that recently adopted new rental laws is Baseball Hall of Fame town Cooperstown, New York. If there ever was a town that has invested in and protected its aesthetic, it’s Cooperstown. They put the “q” in quaint, after all.

The Cooperstown law is structured to discourage non-resident parties from investing in and renting out properties in Cooperstown. The law also sharpens the language for all permitted short-term rentals, and establishes different criteria for rentals in areas zoned residential than areas zoned commercial.

Holcomb said it’s likely Bergmann will recommend changing the zoning in certain areas of Lakewood, something that hasn’t been done in quite some time. It’s also possible regulations and new ordinances will be put in place that address noise, parking and safety. And the requirement that rentals be registered will continue, as well as taxing owners and landlords on rental income.

In a time when many people feel their rights are being threatened as American citizens, tampering with property rights can cause even the staunchest community-minded people to wince. But both Holcomb and Barnes seem to feel they are protecting their community from turning into Disney Land and that the result of this process will be to make the village residential neighborhoods more family and neighborhood friendly.

I don’t think there’s anyone who objects to that, but the challenge will be in getting this right. There’s not likely to be one solution that makes everyone happy, but our village leaders must find a solution everyone can live with. The committee the board has formed to bring balance to this process is a good mix of villagers, including realtors and full time residents.

I know a lot of home owners are anxious to see what they come up with–good folks on both sides of the issue.