Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Short Term Rentals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Niantic homeowner urges regulations that preserve family short-term rentals
Summary
A Niantic resident asked the commission to adopt targeted short-term rental rules—registration, local contact, inspections and occupancy limits—rather than restrictions that would effectively ban small family-run rentals, saying they support local businesses and tourism.
During the public-delegation portion of the meeting Colleen Boria Hearth of 22 Bush Hill Road described restoring a foreclosed home in Niantic and said her family occasionally rents the property to visitors. She told the commission she supports thoughtful regulation that addresses nuisance behavior and bad actors while allowing responsible family-run short-term rentals to continue to support local businesses and tourism.
Hearth urged measures including registration and permitting, local contact information for complaints, safety inspections, occupancy limits and meaningful enforcement targeted at problematic operators. She said a proposed 14-day minimum in mixed-use zones would effectively eliminate brief family stays that bring customers to downtown restaurants and shops.
The chair thanked Hearth for her comments; the commission did not take formal action on short-term rentals at the meeting but Hearth—s testimony will be part of the public record for any future zoning proposals.
