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Rhinebeck adopts rewritten short-term rental law after SEQRA review; no grandfathering for prior registrants
Summary
The Town Board adopted a consolidated short-term rental law after issuing a SEQRA negative declaration; the law requires primary-residence status and additional-insured insurance language and does not grandfather prior county registrations.
The Town of Rhinebeck Town Board adopted a consolidated local law regulating short-term rentals Sept. 29 after concluding a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) review and issuing a negative declaration.
The board first adopted a SEQR negative declaration (resolution 20 25 2 31) after the supervisor and town counsel prepared an Environmental Assessment Form and found no significant environmental impacts from the law. The board then adopted the short-term rental local law (resolution 20 25 2 32/33 as referenced in the meeting packet) by roll-call vote; the adoption passed unanimously.
Town counsel explained the revision largely consolidates provisions the board previously passed, relocates the short-term rental rules into a single section of the town code, clarifies insurance requirements and enforcement language, and clarifies that operating a short-term rental without a license is a violation. Counsel said the law requires that a short-term rental be a primary residence and that the town be named as an additional insured on a host’s general liability policy so that the town would be defended by the host’s insurer if a claim arises.
At the public hearing, residents asked whether preexisting short-term rentals registered with the county would be grandfathered; counsel and the supervisor said there is no grandfathering under the town law. A commenter (identifying himself as Warren LaPlante) said he had registered in 2023; the board clarified that registration with the county did not equate to an automatic right under town law.
The board closed the public hearing on the amended short-term rental law by voice vote and then executed the SEQR and adoption roll-call votes; the record shows unanimous board approval on both measures.
The board directed staff to circulate the adopted local law and post the materials online. The clerk confirmed the board received county comments and that the town would keep the local hearing record available if substantial county or other comments required reopening the hearing.
Votes recorded on the floor: the SEQR negative declaration (resolution 20 25 2 31) passed unanimously; the local law adoption (resolution 20 25 2 32/33 as listed in the packet) was adopted by roll-call with all board members voting in favor.
