LETTER TO THE EDITOR; Opponents of short-term rentals sink to using scare tactics

In a letter to the editor this week in the Cape Cod Times, CCIAOR CEO Ryan Castle called on opponents of short-term to dispense of scare tactic language and instead work to create consistent, enforceable regulations regarding short-term rentals:

From the Cape Cod Times:

Opponents of short-term rentals sink to using scare tactics

Those seeking to ban short-term rentals in the town of Barnstable need to stop employing scare tactics by using the terms “Airbnb” and “nonresident investor” to demonize rental homeowners.

There are two main types of owners who rent their property, and both are “nonresident owners”: second-home owners who rent during the summer to defray the cost of homeownership, and owners renting out their future Cape Cod retirement home until they move here permanently. Both have rented to families visiting the Cape for generations and have an interest in protecting our communities, and should not be demonized as “nonresident investors.”

Nuisances can come from any type of neighbor, regardless of use. Realtors believe the town of Barnstable should have better regulations that protect neighborhoods and hold bad actors accountable. We bring the responsible perspective of an industry that generates thousands of local jobs and millions in economic activity. Irresponsibly eliminating short-term rentals would delete a major revenue source toward paying for a $1 billion wastewater plan leaving taxpayers on the hook.

I invite the writer of the Nov. 9 letter “Short-term rental scourge ruins Barnstable neighborhoods” to join in a productive conversation to create consistent, enforceable regulations that improve the livability of our communities and dispense of the scare tactics.

Ryan Castle, CEO, Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors