Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0242 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.242
2	2	2025 Page 1 of 5
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5	5	VT LEG #378761 v.1
6	6	H.242 1
7	7	Introduced by Representatives Satcowitz of Randolph, Sheldon of 2
8	8	Middlebury, and Logan of Burlington 3
9	9	Referred to Committee on 4
10	10	Date: 5
11	11	Subject: housing; health; food and lodging establishments; short-term rentals 6
12	12	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to impose 7
13	13	operation restrictions on short-term rentals, including host-occupancy and 8
14	14	numerical restrictions; to authorize municipalities to exempt from application 9
15	15	to short-term rentals located within the municipality any of the short-term 10
16	16	rental operation restrictions; and to create a statewide registration of short-term 11
17	17	rentals. 12
18	18	An act relating to regulating short-term rentals 13
19	19	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 14
20	20	Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 4301 is amended to read: 15
21	21	§ 4301. DEFINITIONS 16
22	22	(a) As used in this chapter: 17
23	23	* * * 18
24	24	(14) “Short-term rental” means a furnished house, condominium, or 19
25	25	other dwelling room or self-contained dwelling unit rented to the transient, 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.242
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29	29	VT LEG #378761 v.1
30	30	traveling, or vacationing public for a period of fewer than 30 consecutive days 1
31	31	and for more than 14 days per calendar year. 2
32	32	(15) “Long-term resident” means, for a short-term rental, a person 3
33	33	whose primary residence is located on the same premises as the short-term 4
34	34	rental. 5
35	35	* * * 6
36	36	Sec. 2. 18 V.S.A. §§ 4469–4470a are added to read: 7
37	37	§ 4469. OPERATION RESTRICTIONS 8
38	38	Except as provided in section 4470 of this title, no person shall offer for rent 9
39	39	a short-term rental unless the following conditions are met: 10
40	40	(1) Host-occupancy restriction. A long-term resident shall reside on the 11
41	41	same premises as the short-term rental. 12
42	42	(2) Numerical restriction. A person may offer for rent not more than 13
43	43	one short-term rental per parcel. 14
44	44	§ 4470. EXEMPTION FROM OPERATION RESTRIC TIONS 15
45	45	(a)(1) A municipality that has enacted regulations of short-term rentals 16
46	46	under 24 V.S.A. § 2291 may exempt from application to short-term rentals 17
47	47	located within the municipality the operation restrictions provided under 18
48	48	section 4469 of this title by majority vote of those present and voting by 19
49	49	Australian ballot at an annual or special meeting warned for that purpose. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.242
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53	53	VT LEG #378761 v.1
54	54	(2) A vote to exempt from application to short-term rentals located 1
55	55	within the municipality the operation restrictions provided under section 4469 2
56	56	of this title shall remain in effect until rescinded by majority vote of those 3
57	57	present and voting by Australian ballot at a subsequent annual or special 4
58	58	meeting warned for that purpose. 5
59	59	(b) Upon petition of not less than five percent of the legal voters of any 6
60	60	municipality, filed with the town clerk in conformance with 17 V.S.A. § 2642, 7
61	61	the warning of the annual or special meeting shall contain an article providing 8
62	62	for a vote upon the following questions: 9
63	63	Shall this municipality exempt from application to short-term rentals in 10
64	64	this municipality the host-occupancy restriction provided under 18 V.S.A. 11
65	65	§ 4469(1)? 12
66	66	Shall this municipality exempt from application to short-term rentals in 13
67	67	this municipality the numerical restriction provided under 18 V.S.A. 14
68	68	§ 4469(2)? 15
69	69	The vote under the article shall be by ballot in the following form: 16
70	70	Shall this municipality exempt from application to short-term rentals in 17
71	71	this municipality the host-occupancy restriction provided under 18 V.S.A. 18
72	72	§ 4469(1)? 19
73	73	Yes ___ No ___ 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.242
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78	78	Shall this municipality exempt from application to short-term rentals in 1
79	79	this municipality the numerical restriction provided under 18 V.S.A. 2
80	80	§ 4469(2)? 3
81	81	Yes ___ No ___ 4
82	82	(c) During a vote authorized by this section, the municipality shall make 5
83	83	available to the voters of the municipality present and voting a copy of the 6
84	84	language of section 4469 of this title. 7
85	85	§ 4470a. REGISTRATION OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS 8
86	86	(a) Not later than September 1 each year, a short-term rental owner or 9
87	87	operator shall register each short-term rental with the Department of Housing 10
88	88	and Community Development on a form provided by the Department of 11
89	89	Housing and Community Development. The form shall include the following 12
90	90	information: 13
91	91	(1) the name, address, phone number, and email address of the owner or 14
92	92	owners of the short-term rental; 15
93	93	(2) the identity of any corporation or partnership associated with the 16
94	94	short-term rental, including the name, address, phone number, and email 17
95	95	address of any principals of the corporation or partners of the partnership; 18
96	96	(3) the name, address, phone number, and email address of any long-19
97	97	term resident; 20
98	98	(4) the address of the short-term rental; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.242
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103	103	(5) the number of dwelling units at that address; 1
104	104	(6) the number of rental units at that address; 2
105	105	(7) the number of sleeping rooms in each rental unit; 3
106	106	(8) the maximum number of residents or guests in each rental unit; 4
107	107	(9) the number of parking spaces dedicated for the rental units at that 5
108	108	address; and 6
109	109	(10) and other relevant information requested by the Department of 7
110	110	Housing and Community Development. 8
111	111	(b) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall 9
112	112	maintain a database of the information provided and make that information 10
113	113	available to municipalities upon request. 11
114	114	Sec. 3. EFFECT ON CURRENT MUNICIPAL REGULATION OF SHORT 12
115	115	TERM RENTALS 13
116	116	Notwithstanding the requirements in 18 V.S.A. § 4470, a municipality that 14
117	117	has enacted regulations of short-term rentals under 24 V.S.A. § 2291 as of July 15
118	118	1, 2025 shall be treated as though the municipality has opted out of the 16
119	119	operation restrictions provided under 18 V.S.A. § 4469 and shall not be 17
120	120	required to hold a vote as required by 18 V.S.A. § 4470. The municipality may 18
121	121	vote to rescind the exemption as outlined in 18 V.S.A. § 4470. 19
122	122	Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 20
123	123	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 21