BRATTLEBORO — Organizers of the first-ever Vermont Short Term Rental Summit promised everyone from apartment dwellers to second-home owners a variety of ways to welcome more paying guests through online space-sharing programs such as Airbnb.
But as for how to address the protesters outside with pamphlets? That wasn’t on the agenda.
Some 200 people seeking to learn tips of the trades and local and state health, safety and tax policy found themselves in good company — as well as challenged — at the two-day event in downtown Brattleboro.
“There’s no collective voice for short-term rental operators in the state, so that’s why we’re having a summit to connect those of us who are in this growing industry,” event co-organizer Lisa Ford said.
An estimated 6,000 participating households earn the state about $10 million annually through its 9% rooms tax.
“Your role is that of a Vermont ambassador,” event co-organizer Stephanie Bonin told people who rent bedrooms, apartments and homes. “We hope you feel a sense of camaraderie and support.”
But those arriving Sunday found the grassroots group Brattleboro Solidarity passing out pamphlets charging Airbnb with reducing affordable housing options and, as a result, raising rents, evictions and homelessness.
“Airbnb doesn’t care about the community but about the profit that can be extracted,” protester Becca Polk said.
For their part, some neighboring business owners questioned why the summit was meeting at the Latchis Hotel, a downtown anchor run by a nonprofit organization that’s aiming to lure the same guests.
“Licensed lodging properties see short-term rental hosts as competitors on an unfair playing field,” acknowledged Wendy Knight, commissioner of the state Department of Tourism and Marketing.
Although state officials can cite many statistics — Vermont’s $2.8 billion tourism sector, second only to manufacturing, annually welcomes some 13 million visitors who generate nearly $400 million in tax revenue — they don’t have firm figures about short-term rentals. That’s why Gov. Phil Scott’s administration is commissioning a study.
“We need this data for a lot of reasons,” Windham County state Sen. Becca Balint said. “This is a new industry and we have a responsibility to fully understand the moving parts.”
The state recently began requiring hosts to comply with basic health and safety standards and register with the Department of Taxes.
“We’re not opposed to regulation as long as it’s sensible,” said Joseph Montano of the Expedia Group, which includes such websites as HomeAway and Vrbo. “Vermont has gone with a pretty light touch, which is great. I think it understands the value of the tourism dollars that come through.”
Many speakers said the debate surrounding short-term rentals, affordable housing and traditional lodging wasn’t so clear-cut, in part because many Vermont Airbnb offerings are in rural areas without as much population or access to hotels or motels.
“We have estimates upon estimates, but we don’t know a lot about this topic — it’s been primarily an anecdotal conversation,” said Douglas Farnham of the state Department of Taxes. “I think it makes sense to learn more. It’s common sense that better data makes for better decisions.”
That said, state officials don’t believe Vermont’s 6,000 short-term rental properties are wreaking havoc on its 300,000-unit housing market.
“We have a lot of challenges,” Farnham said, “but from a statewide perspective, I don’t believe 2 percent of the property is big enough to account for the housing struggles we’re feeling.”
Likewise, short-term rental operators said their aim wasn’t to undercut the hospitality industry but instead to expand it.
“There’s a never-ending supply of tourists for all of us and unlimited opportunity to increase the economic benefits for our state,” Ford said. “We understand there are concerns, but we should all be working together. Our goal is to continue this conversation.”
