🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Watervliet, NY
Unanimous Council Vote Brings Tighter Oversight to Watervliet’s Short-Term Rentals
Watervliet Gets Serious About Vacation Rentals: New Rules Hit the Books
Watervliet just took a major step toward reining in its small but rowdy short-term rental market. At its latest City Council meeting, leaders unanimously passed a local law aimed at tightening oversight of vacation rentals — a move sparked by residents’ growing frustration over noise, overcrowding, and parking headaches tied to Airbnbs in their neighborhoods.
For residents like Marlene Johnston, the changes can’t come soon enough. Johnston, who lives near an Airbnb, told council members about nights with as many as 10 cars parked outside a single-family home and repeated calls to law enforcement for loud parties. “It’ll be nice to get something on the books,” her son James added at the meeting.
The new law does just that. It caps the number of overnight guests and cars allowed at each short-term rental. A one-bedroom rental, for example, can host no more than four overnight guests. Owners are also now required to register the names of all their guests with the city and provide renters with key neighborhood information — everything from garbage schedules to basic rules — to help prevent problems before they start.
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City officials modeled the rules after similar laws in nearby municipalities. General Manager Melissa Cherubino said these limits are “very common” across New York towns dealing with the same issues. By formalizing expectations for STR operators, the city hopes to cut down on chaos and improve neighborhood relations.
Enforcement, however, remains a challenge. Corporation Counsel Brian Kremer called the ordinance “the first step,” explaining that city staff will now focus on building up systems to ensure compliance. Mayor Charles Patricelli echoed that sentiment, calling the law a starting point for restoring order and balance between residents and short-term rental operators.
While the council also approved several key city appointments at the meeting, it was this law that drew the most public input. The unanimous vote signals a shared resolve among city leaders to bring short-term rentals under control while still allowing responsible hosts to operate.
For Watervliet residents, the message is clear: short-term rentals aren’t going away, but they will be expected to follow the rules. As Patricelli put it, “We’ll see how it goes” — but for neighbors fed up with late-night noise and crowded driveways, that’s already progress.
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