The Town of Highland has made a serious mistake in legitimizing a wave of short-term rentals.

The town board’s goal of “trying to promote business” is being achieved at a heavy cost to its permanent residents, and our ire is mounting. 

Areas of the town zoned residential are quickly becoming commercialized. Short-term tenants with no commitment to the community or the environment are creating nuisances. 

Short-term rentals on lakes present special problems. The lake itself is a “common” shared by all the property owners. Neighbors on a lake who have over the years come to know and trust one another are now being confronted with strangers who are “in their faces.” Sounds carry across a lake, so when short-term renters, up for a party weekend, are noisy, there is no buffer as there would be in a cottage isolated in the woods. Moreover, short-term tenants are disrespectful of property boundaries, docks and even of private watercraft.

Non-owner-occupied short-term rentals are in serious violation of New York State fire codes and present a serious safety hazard. 

The 34 short-term rental applications listed in the article cited above are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more properties being used as short-term rentals without bothering with the formalities of registering with the town. 

There has been some discussion by recent candidates for town and county offices of the need for low-cost housing. By facilitating short-term rentals, the Town of Highland has in effect removed properties from the base available for permanent residential purchasers or long-term rentals, thus thwarting espoused goals.

As a first step, the Town of Highland Board should immediately put a moratorium on short-term rentals, while evaluating a solution that protects the rights of its long-term residents.

Peter Kolesar

Eldred, NY