🎯STRisker: Bulletin - Lee, MA
Lee Voters Unanimously Approve Budget and Short-Term Rental Bylaw
A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates — Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.
Lee Voters Unanimously Approve Budget and Short-Term Rental Bylaw
Lee’s annual town meeting may have wrapped up in under an hour, but it wasn’t without some important changes for the short-term rental community.
Among a full slate of approved articles, the town gave the green light to a set of adjustments to its short-term rental (STR) bylaws, aiming to make them easier to enforce and more responsive to community needs.
The revisions come two years after Lee passed its first STR bylaw. But experience has shown the original rules needed more teeth—and a bit more flexibility.
STR Bylaw Final Draft
So, what’s changed❓❓❓
👉 The most significant update requires all STR properties to have a local property manager within 30 miles. This ensures that someone can respond quickly if issues arise—whether it’s a plumbing problem or a noise complaint. It’s a move many towns are making to bridge the gap between absentee owners and concerned neighbors.
👉 Another important change: the town is now requiring STR hosts to provide proof of liability insurance when registering each year. This adds a protective cushion and formalizes what’s become a best practice in many municipalities.
👉 Lastly, the annual registration fee is getting a bit of breathing room. Previously set in stone at $100, it can now be adjusted by the Select Board, allowing for more flexibility depending on administrative costs or changing economic conditions.
In a separate but related vote, residents approved an update to the town’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules. The change bans STRs in homes with ADUs, aligning with statewide guidance that aims to prioritize long-term housing stock.
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