Deputy Town Manager Paul DegliAngeli says rental inspections won't pause, but fees for violators are on hold until a lawsuit has been settled. (DAYMOND STEER PHOTO)
Deputy Town Manager Paul DegliAngeli says rental inspections won't pause, but fees for violators are on hold until a lawsuit has been settled. (DAYMOND STEER PHOTO)
CONWAY — The local vacation rentals association has warned that the town could get itself in "a mess" if it doesn't pause its rental inspection program.
On April 9, town voters overwhelmingly passed a warrant article to allow the inspection and regulation of long- and short-term rentals. The article required rental properties to pass a life safety inspection after which the town would grant them a certificate of rental compliance.
I find two major problems with the town's STR inspection program.
The first has been discussed a lot, which is the unconstitutional basis for the inspection. NH has a law which requires warrants for home entry without probable cause. Homes that have no issue should not be required to be inspected by the authorities, especially under such a transparent pretense of "life safety." Had that been a legitimate concern, all homes would be inspected, not just vacation rentals. Is it a coincidence that the vast majority of these homeowners cannot vote in town elections, so our elected officials might feel very little risk in establishing such an intrusive program?
The second problem is that the town makes money under the guise of "covering costs." Vacation homeowners have no children going to local schools, which is where the majority of tax dollars go. So why can the town charge an exorbitant fee to inspect vacation homes? This gives the town the perverse incentive of increasing its bureaucracy, regulations, and fees in order to create more "profit centers" and expand, which is what all government entities do, if they are able.
How about the Town offer a free inspection service for any homeowners (vacation or permanent) who have concerns about safety, and allow the hiring of a private contractor who would not have the obligation of ratting out whatever they see, regardless if it is on the inspection checklist or not?
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I find two major problems with the town's STR inspection program.
The first has been discussed a lot, which is the unconstitutional basis for the inspection. NH has a law which requires warrants for home entry without probable cause. Homes that have no issue should not be required to be inspected by the authorities, especially under such a transparent pretense of "life safety." Had that been a legitimate concern, all homes would be inspected, not just vacation rentals. Is it a coincidence that the vast majority of these homeowners cannot vote in town elections, so our elected officials might feel very little risk in establishing such an intrusive program?
The second problem is that the town makes money under the guise of "covering costs." Vacation homeowners have no children going to local schools, which is where the majority of tax dollars go. So why can the town charge an exorbitant fee to inspect vacation homes? This gives the town the perverse incentive of increasing its bureaucracy, regulations, and fees in order to create more "profit centers" and expand, which is what all government entities do, if they are able.
How about the Town offer a free inspection service for any homeowners (vacation or permanent) who have concerns about safety, and allow the hiring of a private contractor who would not have the obligation of ratting out whatever they see, regardless if it is on the inspection checklist or not?
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.