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Council asks inspectional services for update on short-term rental compliance and effect of 3% community impact fee
Summary
An order was referred to the Housing & Community Development committee requesting an update on enforcement of the short-term rental ordinance and whether the 3% community impact fee has altered the number of short-term rental units in the city.
The Somerville City Council on Oct. 9 referred to the Housing & Community Development committee an order asking the director of Inspectional Services for a compliance update on the city’s short-term rental ordinance, including whether the 3% community impact fee under Chapter 64G §3(d) of state law has affected the number of active short-term rentals.
Councilor Saeed moved the order and said she would send Inspectional Services specifics about the data and metrics she expects in the report. Councilors Wilson and Scott signed on and noted previous uses of software to detect undeclared short-term rentals; Wilson said the city had discontinued one such tool and that alternative software options that track listing dates and prices might help enforcement and revenue recovery from the state Department of Revenue.
Councilor Scott urged the committee to include investigation of “underground networks” of short-term rentals that may be violating the ordinance; he said that if the ordinance is being flouted revenue from the community impact fee could be captured and directed toward affordable housing as intended by law.
The council placed the order on file and referred it to the Housing & Community Development committee for a staff report on compliance, enforcement methods and impacts of the 3% community impact fee.
