Town Planner Dave Anderson said that addressing short-term and seasonal rentals will be a priority in 2021, with the town still without any official way of tracking these properties.

The issues, while long-discussed in town, took on a new significance during the pandemic especially early on as town officials sought to enforce out-of-state quarantines and prevent spread of the virus. Discussions in the past have mostly focused on popular space-renting service Airbnb, with some people concerned about crowding or other neighborhood nuisance problems associated with the practice.

While some residents have asked for further restrictions or studies on the effect of these short term rentals, often listed on popular websites like Airbnb, Anderson said that as of right now the town is only really looking at the initiatives to track and understand the impact of the practice.

A review of Airbnb listings found around 50 Madison properties listed, most near the beach. A handful explicitly mentioned longer-term seasonal or monthly options for potential renters.

The Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) previously discussed the issue in 2019, with a handful of residents complaining about noise or crowding while others defended the freedom to use their properties as they please. Members discussed forming a joint committee with the Economic Development Commission and the Board of Selectmen, though it was not clear if that was ever convened.

Anderson told The Source that more information would be needed to make an assessment about whether or not these rentals need to be regulated. He pointed out that there aren’t any specific regulations for the properties or regarding the practice of seasonal renting, mostly due to the town’s codes being written before the prevalence of services like Airbnb.

At minimum, Anderson said that it would be helpful for the town to have contact information for short-term rental practitioners so the town is able to reach them in case of an issue.

How other towns address these types of rentals vary, with Anderson saying there is no single agreed-upon solution. The Guilford PZC decided in 2016 that regulations that apply to bed and breakfast establishments should also apply to Airbnb-type rentals. Chester amended its regulations in 2018 in response to issues with short-term rentals, requiring more oversight and permitting.