Cape Cod Town Pauses Short-Term Rental Survey After Error

Key Takeaways

Sandwich, Massachusetts launched a public survey to gather feedback on short-term rentals in town
The survey was temporarily taken offline after officials found an error in one of the questions
Town officials say a corrected version is expected to be released again in September

A Cape Cod town wants to hear from residents before deciding whether its short-term rental rules need to change.

Sandwich, Massachusetts has launched a public survey asking residents and other stakeholders what they think is working well with short-term rentals and where they see room for improvement. The town sits along Cape Cod Bay, offering ocean access at popular spots like Town Neck Beach and East Sandwich Beach

There was one hiccup with the town’s new survey, though.

After launching, town officials discovered an error that could have affected the results and it has been temporarily taken down.

The town said more than 300 people responded after the survey launched July 27, but feedback from several community members led officials to identify a problem with Question 11. Sandwich pulled the survey July 30 so it could correct the issue and preserve the accuracy of the responses.

The survey is expected to return on Tuesday, September 8, Town of Sandwich Director of Community Development Leanne Drake told REWire Media.

“The survey was temporarily taken offline on July 30 after community members identified an error in Question 11. While the other multiple-choice questions allowed respondents to select multiple answers, Question 11 allowed only one response,” Drake said.

“The Town determined that this technical issue could affect the accuracy of the results by potentially skewing responses toward perceived drawbacks rather than benefits. The survey was removed to allow the Town to review and revise the questions and answer options so that the results are reliable, transparent, and representative of community feedback,” she added.

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When it comes back, Sandwich officials are encouraging residents to fill out the updated version even if they already participated the first time, and short-term rental owners are encouraged to have a voice in the process.

“The purpose of the survey is to hear from the entire community, including short-term rental owners, rather than engage any one group exclusively. The Town is seeking input on issues including housing availability, tourism impacts, potential regulations, and economic benefits,” Drake said. “The feedback will help inform future discussions and potential policy or regulatory changes, with the goal of balancing economic opportunity with neighborhood well-being.”

According to a Cape Cod Times report, the town launched the survey to get a clearer picture of how residents view short-term rental activity before officials decide whether additional local rules are needed.

According to the Sandwich official, the survey results have been collected and reviewed, the Town plans to hold public meetings, which “will be open to anyone interested in the issue and will provide an opportunity for residents and other stakeholders to share their views.”

Sandwich could decide whether local rules are needed

Cape Cod towns have taken very different approaches to short-term rentals.

Some communities require local registration, inspections or other restrictions, while Sandwich has historically relied more heavily on Massachusetts’ statewide registration and tax requirements instead of creating a separate local system.

The survey gives the town a chance to hear from homeowners, hosts, neighbors and other residents before deciding whether that approach should change.

It does not mean new restrictions are guaranteed. Depending on the feedback, officials could ultimately decide to keep the current system or consider options such as registration, inspections, occupancy rules or other local requirements.

For hosts, the renewed survey will be worth watching. Public feedback collected at this stage could help shape what, if anything, eventually makes its way before town officials or voters.

The town has not announced an exact relaunch date, but its July 30 notice said the corrected survey should be reissued in about a month.

Sandwich sits on Cape Cod’s Upper Cape, where beaches, historic villages, and heavy summer tourism make vacation rentals an important part of the local lodging mix.