A New York community has pulled its proposed cap on short-term rental permits at a public hearing.
For now at least.
The move effects vacation rental housing in a Cayuga County tourist community, an area located roughly 50 minutes from Syracuse.
The area will now delay any limit on the number of operating properties until at least next year.
“We may change that number down the road,” Mayor Brian DiBernardo said at the meeting.
“We think a minimum of a [delay of a] year will give us enough time to further examine this issue and see what kind of effects it will have on our community,” DiBernardo added.
The revised draft removes what had been the most controversial element of the area’s regulatory push — a freeze on new permits at roughly six percent of the village’s housing stock.
The shift came after a contentious April hearing where rental owners turned out to challenge the cap, which would have locked in 42 permits and used a lottery system to allocate them.
According to “WRVO,” Mayor Brian DiBernardo told attendees the village would create a committee including residents and short-term rental operators to study the issue over the next year before revisiting the cap.
One STR owner called it a ‘step in the right direction’
Daniel Fey, who owns two short-term rental properties in Fair Haven, said he was surprised by the changes but called them a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, STR owner Abby Weaver thanked village leaders for the revisions, calling them more reflective of what both the community and tourism demand.
Disputes remain over secondary details, including whether one owner can hold multiple permits and whether permits transfer with property sales outside family members.
But the tone at the recent meeting stood in sharp contrast to the packed, standing-room-only atmosphere in April.
Operators in Fair Haven now have at least 12 months before any numeric limit takes effect, assuming the committee process yields a final cap.
With the village board vote still ahead and the committee yet to form, the clock on enforcement has effectively reset.
