The Struggle Elsewhere

At the end of 2019, Mayor Rick Rector vetoed the proposed nine-month moratorium on the creation of new short-term rentals, and the Common Council upheld the veto by a very slim margin. Because two of the four aldermen who voted against overriding the mayor's veto are no longer on the Council, it is expected that the moratorium will be presented again this year, with no danger of it being vetoed by the new mayor, Kamal Johnson, who told WAMC back in July that he felt compelled to run in 2019 because, "There's an epidemic of short-term rentals" in Hudson.

The principal argument for the moratorium voiced repeatedly by Alderman John Rosenthal (Fourth Ward), who introduced the moratorium in September without the customary vetting by the Legal Committee, which he chaired, is that it will give the Council "the opportunity to look at other communities" and draft appropriate legislation to regulate short term rentals in Hudson. 

One of the "other communities" mentioned from time to time in discussion about the draft legislation is the Village of Rhinebeck. Rhinebeck recently adopted legislation to regulate short-term rentals, and on Thursday, Joel Craig of Hudson Valley Life Style & Real Estate released a video commenting on Rhinebeck's new law: "Rhinebeck Bans Airbnb!" 

The video can be viewed here. A red-lined version of the legislation before it was enacted can be viewed here. 

Thanks to Cynthia Lambert for bringing this video to our attention.
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