Albany County declines to regulate short-term rentals

Posted 11/29/19

LARAMIE (WNE) — The Albany County Planning and Zoning Commission opted this month not to pursue any regulations for short-term rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo.

In September, residents in the …

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Albany County declines to regulate short-term rentals

Posted

LARAMIE (WNE) — The Albany County Planning and Zoning Commission opted this month not to pursue any regulations for short-term rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo.

In September, residents in the North Fork subdivision of Centennial came to the planning board to complain about short-term rentals in the neighborhood. As a result, Assistant County Planner Chris Van Aken researched some regulatory possibilities.

However, he said at the planning board’s Nov. 13 meeting that even if Albany County were to pass such regulations, the county likely doesn’t have the resources to effectively enforce those regulations in such a rural location.

“The main problem we would have trying to regulate these in Albany County is that we don’t have much of an enforcement vehicle,” Van Aken said. “What I would submit is that our best option right now is to leave enforcement up to (homeowner’s associations) or improvement districts. … What’s best for one community isn’t necessarily best for the county as a whole.”

After Van Aken’s report, the planning commissioners decided they should take no action.Planning board Chairman Shaun Moore said if residents were to block Airbnbs in their neighborhood, they should pass a covenant instead of seeking new county-wide regulations.

While Airbnb operators in Centennial have challenged such claims, their detractors have complained that tourists staying at houses in Centennial are often loud and obnoxious.

Moore said this month that, if tourists are actually creating issues, neighbors should report the nuisance to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

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