Short-Term Rentals - AirBnB

[WinnisquamZ]

The inability of the city to enforce the current bylaw is on the city council.


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[John Mercier]

They should be able to work with the DRA to create a means to determine what properties have M&R licenses, but are not permitted by the city.

''Do I need to post my Meals and Rooms (Rentals) license?

Yes, the Meals and Rooms (Rentals) license must be conspicuously posted in a public area upon the premises to which it relates. Additionally, any advertisement for a short-term rental by print, display, publication, distribution, or online listing offering a short-term rental shall include the meals and rooms license number of the operator. A short-term rental is one or more rooms in a residential unit for occupancy for tourist or transient use for less than 185 consecutive days.''

Should the property not be M&R licensed, the homeowner has a much bigger problem.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

They should be able to work with the DRA to create a means to determine what properties have M&R licenses, but are not permitted by the city.

''Do I need to post my Meals and Rooms (Rentals) license?

Yes, the Meals and Rooms (Rentals) license must be conspicuously posted in a public area upon the premises to which it relates. Additionally, any advertisement for a short-term rental by print, display, publication, distribution, or online listing offering a short-term rental shall include the meals and rooms license number of the operator. A short-term rental is one or more rooms in a residential unit for occupancy for tourist or transient use for less than 185 consecutive days.''

Should the property not be M&R licensed, the homeowner has a much bigger problem.

Not necessarily, the NH DOR is pretty easy going and will just issue a small fine if the owner self-reports the violation. That license is super easy to get and is just a means to get tax revenue. The last thing the DOR wants to do is punish a business to the extent that the business cannot generate tax revenue.

[John Mercier]

Is the lack of permit in Laconia even a fine?
Or do they just have to acquire the permit after the fact?

So if no state license, and no local permit, the cost to acquire must be harder and a longer journey.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Is the lack of permit in Laconia even a fine?
Or do they just have to acquire the permit after the fact?

So if no state license, and no local permit, the cost to acquire must be harder and a longer journey.

I cannot say how Laconia does things. I have two short-term rental condos in Hampton Beach (where the town encourages short-term rentals) and the state license and town permit seem to be completely isolated from each other. The town allows the permit to be passed from one owner to another and it's good for 10 years. The state requires a new license if the property changes hands. I did not realize the state required this and I was in violation for a few months. I self-reported and it cost me like 40 bucks or something. They were really cool about it.

Hampton seems to encourage (at times even requires) the ability to offer short term rentals because of all the mom and pop hotels and motels that are being replaced or reconfigured as condos. People that live here full time or just use the condo as a second home tend to spend a lot less money in local businesses than people that are on vacation for a short time. I'm sure there are property owners here that hate this, but Hampton Beach has always been a VERY seasonal vacation destination made up of mostly transients in "Summer season" (which now runs from May 1 to Nov 1 and seems to be growing), so short term rentals fit the mold perfectly. Literally the only industries here are hospitality and a little fishing (which mostly caters to hospitality and tourism).