The special legislative commission studying the economic and social effects of the short-term rental industry will meet Wednesday for overviews of the short-term rental industry as it relates to municipalities.
The Special Legislative Commission to Review and Provide Recommendations for Policies that Deal with Numerous Economic and Social Short-Term Rentals Issues will meet Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. in Room 101 on the first floor of the State House.
The meeting will include municipality overviews by commission member and Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns Associate Director Jordan Day, Middletown Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown and Providence Deputy Director of Planning and Development Robert Azar. No public testimony will be taken at this meeting.
The meeting will be televised on Capitol Television on Cox Communications, channel 15 or 61 for high definition; on i3 Broadband (formerly Full Channel) on channel 15; and on Verizon, channel 34. It will also be live streamed at https://www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx
The commission was created as a result of legislation (2023-H 6449) sponsored this legislative session by Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport), who serves as its chairwoman. It is to review all current and existing Rhode Island statutes on short-term rentals, Department of Business Regulation registrations process and enforcement, municipal vs. state regulation, taxation, the impact on year-round and local housing markets and neighborhoods, health and safety concerns and best practice in other states and communities. The commission is to establish a working definition of “short-term rentals;” engage the public and community stakeholders including property owners, industry representatives, police and fire chiefs and zoning and planning officials for input; develop an understanding of the nature, extent, and scope of short-term rental activity; and identify specific benefits, problems, or issues associated with short-term rentals and how they vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and municipality to municipality.
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