Loa residents challenge new short‑term rental licensing and annual inspection plan

A group of local short‑term rental operators, led by spokesperson Gary Laing, told the council they were surprised by a town letter asking owners to obtain short‑term rental licenses from Loa and to comply with a new set of posting and inspection rules. "We do not collect taxes...we are under the umbrella of a large cooperation that acts as our business representative," Laing said, describing how platforms such as Airbnb historically handled tax collection and made many operators reluctant to take on new town requirements.

Councilmembers and staff defended the process and the content of the standards. Town Clerk Michelle Brian said the application and inspection standards are drawn from the town's business license ordinance and that many existing operators are grandfathered for several requirements; she noted the addition of a fire‑safety inspection as a new safety step. Eric Torgerson, the town building inspector, urged the council to require inspections after describing unsafe conditions he encountered in neighboring communities: "There was a lot of safety stuff that was hazardous," he said, listing issues such as failing decks, missing smoke detectors and unprotected electrical outlets.

Operators complained about annual inspection frequency and posting of owner contact information, saying those requirements felt intrusive and costly. Councilmembers responded that the town must balance residents’ concerns about loss of long‑term housing and the town’s liability and public‑safety responsibilities. Several participants asked the council to reopen specific wording of the business‑license standards; the council said it would take the comments under advisement and work with Planning & Zoning to clarify language and consider modifications at a future public meeting.