🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Philipstown, NY
Philipstown Sets the Stage for New STR Rules: Balancing Business, Neighbors, and Fair Play
New Rules, New Reality: Philipstown’s Plan to Rein In Short-Term Rentals
Change is in the air for short-term rental hosts in Philipstown, and homeowners like Susan Coleman are bracing for what’s next. Coleman, who’s long welcomed guests into her home — sometimes renting the entire property, other times just a few rooms — may soon face new limits as the Town Board moves forward with a proposed short-term rental (STR) law. The measure aims to strike a careful balance: letting residents earn income from platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo while ensuring neighborhood peace and guest safety.
Unveiled at the October 29 Town Board meeting, the draft law would introduce one-year STR permits and define short-term rentals as stays of fewer than 30 days. Eligible properties would be restricted to single- and two-family homes, accessory apartments, and outbuildings that already have certificates of occupancy.
One of the biggest proposed changes? A rule requiring STR hosts to live in their homes for at least 260 days each year. The intent, according to Supervisor John Van Tassel, is to prevent large companies from buying up residential homes just to run them as year-round STR businesses. “We don’t want people coming in and buying up neighborhoods,” Van Tassel emphasized.
However, not everyone agrees with the rule. Longtime part-time resident Florence Smith, who co-owns a home in Garrison, said such restrictions could make it impossible for families like hers to cover taxes and maintenance costs. The Town Board is now considering a compromise, possibly allowing part-time owners to continue renting but with a cap on rental days.
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Safety, too, is a key focus. The proposal mandates bedroom size minimums, multiple emergency exits, and a written safety statement for guests listing exits, fire extinguishers, and emergency contacts. Hosts would also need to carry $500,000 in liability insurance, ensure off-street parking, and be reachable within 20 minutes in case of emergencies.
For hosts like Coleman, though, the draft law raises fresh worries. A clause restricting owners to rent out only one unit at a time could eliminate the multi-room guest experiences she loves. “Why do you want to kill my business?” she asked.
Fines would be stiff: $1,000 for the first violation, $2,000 and permit loss for the second, and $5,000 plus a four-year ban for a third offense. As Van Tassel noted, even the town’s building department will feel the strain as it adjusts to the influx of new STR applications.
The final vote could come before year’s end — meaning big changes may soon shape the way Philipstown hosts share their homes.
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