🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Hague, NY
From Regulation to Reversal: Hague’s Short-Term Rental Law Falls Flat
Hague’s Short-Term Rental Law Struck Down: A Lesson in Due Process
The Town of Hague’s controversial Short-Term Rental Law — once touted as a model for small-town regulation — has been struck down in court, just months after taking effect. On November 2025, Warren County Supreme Court Judge Robert Muller ruled that the town violated New York’s SEQRA law, rendering its STR ordinance invalid.
Passed last June and in effect since January, Local Law #1 of 2024 introduced sweeping changes: new property buyers couldn’t apply for STR permits for three years, and rentals during the summer had to meet a three-night minimum. The idea was to preserve affordable housing and maintain a strong year-round community, concerns shared by many upstate towns battling the rise of short-term vacation rentals.
But the rollout sparked legal backlash. Property owners, led by MATO Properties, LLC, argued the town acted “arbitrarily and capriciously,” ignoring due process and existing zoning rules. Judge Muller agreed — not on zoning grounds, but because the town skipped an environmental review required under SEQRA. He ruled that the STR law had environmental implications tied to “noise levels, garbage, and occupancy limits,” meaning it needed review before passage.
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The decision underscores a key lesson: even local rental laws must follow environmental review protocols if they affect community dynamics. For Hague, that failure was fatal. Town Supervisor Josh Patchett has since announced that all $300 STR permit fees will be refunded.
For STR owners like Tony Dawson, the win is about more than refunds. “We did our due diligence,” he said. “There was a right way and a wrong way to do this — and the wrong way is what happened.” Dawson hopes the ruling opens the door to cooperation between property owners and officials. “We want to help make Hague better, not fight against it.”
While the town regroups, this case will likely ripple across New York, serving as a cautionary tale for other municipalities rushing to regulate STRs without first dotting every procedural “i.” Hague may have lost its law — but it’s given the rest of the state a vital roadmap of what not to skip.
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