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Board of Health opens public hearing on events at short-term rentals; attorney presents three regulatory options
Summary
The Board opened a public hearing to consider regulating large events at short-term rental properties. An attorney presented three approaches — enforce existing rules, amend short-term rental rules to require permits or prohibit certain gatherings, or expand permitting to all private residences — and the board asked staff to draft options.
NANTUCKET, Mass. — The Nantucket Board of Health on Jan. 16 opened a public hearing to consider how the town should regulate large events at private homes, particularly when those homes are used as short-term rentals.
Greg Corbeau, town counsel, laid out three general options for the board: do nothing and rely on existing regulations (short-term rental rules, noise bylaw, tent permits and other enforcement tools); amend the short-term rental regulations to require permits or limits for large gatherings at rental properties; or expand permitting requirements to any private residence hosting a large event.
“...there are 3 sort of broad options for the board could take,” Corbeau told the board, summarizing the regulatory approaches he had reviewed. He added that the town could require event plans and conditions — parking, trash, police details, septic/porta-potty arrangements — if it chose a permit route.
Nut graf: Board members and residents said the issue primarily concerns commercial activity that harms neighbors — rentals used as de facto event venues where occupants are not local and on-site stewardship is limited. The board directed staff to draft regulation language that focuses on short-term rentals and to return with options rather than pursue a town-wide prohibition on private-residence events.
Several board members said the main concern is short-term rentals used commercially as event venues where the owner is not present to manage impacts. Board member Carrie said homeowners typically notify neighbors of modest private events; the board’s focus should be commercialized rentals. Board member Kerry and others favored exploring a permit model tied to short-term rental registration and enforcement, while some members cautioned that a town-wide permit requirement for all private gatherings could be overly broad.
Public-commenters and members of the public urged clarity and enforceability. Board members asked staff to catalogue existing regulations (noise, parking, tent permits, septic rules) and to draft proposed short-term-rental amendments that would require notice to abutters, limits on maximum occupancy, and, where necessary, event-specific permits that include a parking and trash plan.
The board voted to continue the public hearing and asked staff to return with draft language and an enforcement plan. The hearing will remain open to take further public input.
Ending: The Board of Health asked town counsel and staff to prepare text for a short-term-rental amendment (focused on large gatherings/events) and to present a draft at the next board meeting for discussion.
