Key Takeaways

  • Middletown approved a three-bedroom owner-occupied short-term rental despite objections from three neighbors
  • The board also approved a rebuild at a property with a grandfathered four-bedroom short-term rental registration
  • A separate owner-occupied short-term rental request on Crest Street was pushed to the board’s September 22 meeting

A Rhode Island short-term rental owner just got the green light to move forward despite objections from several neighbors.

For the short-term rental owner, the vote marked a clear win after neighbors raised concerns about parking, oversight and occupancy.

The Middletown Zoning Board of Review voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a special use permit for an owner-occupied short-term rental in the Birchwood Manor neighborhood, just outside Newport.

The three-bedroom property will operate under Middletown’s current rules, which require new short-term rentals in residential districts to be owner-occupied and approved through a special use permit.

There is a catch though. The town says owners must remain on the property while guests are staying there.

The owner told the board she and her husband bought the home in July and plan to live downstairs while renting the three bedrooms upstairs, according to Uprise RI’s account of the meeting.

She also said the property has about six off-street parking spaces available for guests.

That wasn’t enough to ease concerns from three nearby residents.

One longtime neighbor questioned how the town would make sure occupancy limits are followed or confirm the owner is actually staying on site. Another raised concerns about parking, while a third described previous problems with vehicles blocking his driveway and asked whether the setup could amount to a boarding house.

Board officials said it would not.

Middletown defines a short-term rental as lodging for 31 consecutive days or less, with no more than six short-term renters allowed during a stay. The owner must live on the property throughout the rental period. The town also requires one off-street parking space for every two occupants. Those requirements are spelled out in the town’s zoning code.

At least one board member suggested the application left little room for denial, saying members would be “hard-pressed to deny” it if the property met the town’s standards.

The board’s attorney also reminded members that Middletown’s Town Council has already decided owner-occupied short-term rentals can be allowed in residential neighborhoods when applicants meet the required conditions.

That leaves the zoning board focused largely on whether an individual property satisfies the rules rather than whether short-term rentals should be allowed at all.

Related: Atlanta suburb weighs short-term rental legalization after years without clear rules

Another short-term rental property gets approval

The vote wasn’t the only short-term rental-related decision on the agenda.

The board also approved a teardown and rebuild of another property, where the existing property has a grandfathered four-bedroom short-term rental registration.

The project calls for the current legal nonconforming home to be demolished and rebuilt on the same footprint with a second-floor addition. The property required zoning relief because parts of the rebuilt home will remain closer to the side property lines than current rules normally allow.

The board also considered several other building and zoning requests Tuesday, including projects on Green End Avenue and Wolcott Avenue.

A separate request for an owner-occupied short-term rental at 68 Crest Street didn’t get a decision. The applicant did not appear, and the matter was continued.

Related: Montgomery, Alabama delays short-term rental vote again after resident pushback

The Crest Street petition is now expected to return to the Middletown Zoning Board on September 22.

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