This Upstate New York Town's New Airbnb Restrictions Could Be Bad News for Weekenders
Queensbury, New York is a year-round vacation hotspot.
The upstate New York tourism hotspot of Queensbury just passed new restrictions on Airbnb and other short-term rental properties that will affect many would-be vacationers.
CBS6 Albany reports that the Queensbury Town Board recently adopted a resolution requiring short-term renters to stay at least five consecutive nights when renting between May and September. Although the restrictions won't be in place outside those months, property owners will only be allowed to rent out their homes for up to 120 days per year. These new restrictions are set to begin next year, and are meant to discourage "weekend warrior" tourism that's led to conflicts with local residents.
"Residential communities, houses with children going to school, vibrant members of the community. [With] short term rentals, you don't have that," Councilman Tim McNulty told CBS6. "Two- to three-day rentals are the norm and that's where we have some of the issues with parties, graduation parties, different functions going on which tends to create some ruckus in the neighborhood. So we're saying five days now. So people can come in get to enjoy our area for five days, seven days, whatever and hopefully be good neighbors."
Queensbury sits on a portion of the southern shore of Lake George, one of the most popular vacation destinations in the region. It's also home to Six Flags Great Escape amusement and water park, and abuts the regional city of Glens Falls as well as the vast Adirondack region.
Airbnb and VRBO show dozens of Queensbury rental properties available on the platforms, including luxurious waterfront houses on Lake George renting for thousands of dollars per night. Other neighboring municipalities, including the Village of Lake George, have also sought to rein in the number of rental properties in recent years.