VRMA Administrator
The Santa Fe, New Mexico, County Commission postponed a vote on new rules for short-term rentals in order to further review the policy amid clashing views. The commission updated the proposed policy to address certain issues, although many short-term rental owners said they felt it was onerous. The revised policy differentiated owner-occupied rentals, which will be required to pay a business registration fee of $35, from non-occupied rentals, which will have to pay $375 up front and $300 yearly. Some commissioners proposed shifting to a tier system based on where the owner lives and how many rentals they have. Top concerns included lodging tax requirements, and county officials said they will work with short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo to collect taxes if the ordinance is cleared. Some owners expressed concerns that the policy would require them to alert neighbors if they plan to use their property as a short-term rental, which commissioners said sought to ensure neighbors could contact homeowners if there are problems with guests. Adam Johnson, director of the nonprofit Old Santa Fe Association, was worried that the policy failed to include primary residence requirements, which would limit non-occupied rentals. "This will allow permanent, taxpaying, and community contributing residents to have short-term rentals in Santa Fe County," he stated.
Santa Fe New Mexican (09/28/22) Claudia L. Silva
