Southold Town Advances Towards Airbnb-Style Rental Permit System Amid Housing Crisis
Southold Town in New York is moving closer to establishing a formal permit system for Airbnb-style short-term rentals. This initiative is part of a broader overhaul of the town's housing code, which also addresses accessory apartments, community housing, and general rental rules. Currently, short-term rentals of fewer than 14 consecutive nights are prohibited in Southold. The proposed law would introduce a permit system, including a cap on the percentage of homes eligible for permits and a lottery to determine recipients. Town officials are still working on aligning the draft short-term rental code with the existing, often conflicting, general rental rules. The Supervisor's tentative 2027 budget includes a new full-time director of code enforcement, a position linked to increased oversight of short-term rentals. The town's 2023 Community Housing Plan identified short-term rentals as a contributing factor to the local housing shortage, noting 853 active vacation rental properties in Southold and Greenport a...
