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Residents urge ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, cite rising local listings
Summary
Speakers told the Board that Milford has no short-term rental rules, reported a 59% year-over-year increase in listings, and urged the aldermen to consider strict ordinances to curb noise, parking problems and housing loss.
Milford residents told the Board of Aldermen on Sept. 8 that the city should adopt rules for short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO, which they said are increasing and causing neighborhood impacts.
Bob Dickinson, a resident of 30 Grant Street, told the board Milford has “no regulations” for short-term rentals and said the city has seen a “59% increase in short-term rentals year over year.” He urged the city to “examine this problem and pass strict ordinances to fix it,” citing noise, parties and reduced housing availability.
Dickinson said investors are buying homes through LLCs to operate rentals in residential zones and compared Milford to other jurisdictions that have moved to restrict short-term stays. He referenced recent New York City rules that ban rentals shorter than 30 days as an example of stricter local regulation.
No ordinance was proposed or voted on at the Sept. 8 meeting. Board members did not take formal action during public comment, and staff did not present a draft regulation at the time.
Residents asked the board to weigh neighborhood safety, parking and effects on housing supply when considering any rulemaking. Mr. Dickinson also raised an unrelated complaint about a specific property, 26 Hauser Street, calling it a health and fire hazard and saying the condition had worsened over several years.
The board heard the concerns but did not schedule a public hearing or introduce a regulatory proposal during the meeting.
