ROCKLAND — For over a year, the Rockland City Council and members of its community have jousted about short-term rentals and effects on the business community. At their April 11 regular meeting, councilors voted 4-0, after a final reading and public hearing, to approve the ordinance Short Term Rentals.  The ordinance becomes effective after 30 days.

“It’s been a journey to arrive at tonight’s vote,” said Cheryl Michaelsen, who represented the Historic Inns of Rockland.

She urged the council to put caps on the number of short term rentals the city will allow.

“My statements are not to go after the vacation rentals,” she said. “They’re part of the lodging opportunities we offer in Rockland. My point is, if the law says that there are assets in Rockland that generate income after Jan. 1, you have to declare them by April 15, and they are taxed.”

Councilor Will Clayton proposed an amendment (passing 4-0) that would change the minimum stay required from three nights to one.

“I see a whole lot of giving on both sides,” he said. “The one thing I don’t understand is the three-night rental just because there is no clarity on it. We have to be careful about over-politicizing and making a hurdle. If someone were to drive up from Boston they would have to pay for a three-night minimum. They might choose to stay only one night, but they would have to pay if they so choose.”

Clayton said his background is hospitality and he did not like the hurdle the three-night minimum creates. He said he wanted to strike the three-night minimum.

Councilor Valerie Geiger said the talks surrounding the short-term rentals on the surface seemed simple, but that a year and a half later, the devil had been in the details.

“I was the person who proposed the three-night minimum and I have struggled with it,” she said. “At this point I am willing to let that go and see what happens as we collect data. I‘ll be the first one back to the drawing board if it does turn out to be an issue. Despite all the issues about short-term rentals, John Root [code enforcement officer] has received no complaints.” 

Mayor Louise MacLellan-Ruf said she did not think passage would put the matter to rest.

“We’ve worked on this for a-year-and-a-half,” she said. “The process worked, we had a lot of workshops and input from all sides pro and con. It’s been a very lively discussion and I’m pleased.”

The mayor said she did not see any problem with changing the verbiage lowering the parameters to a one-night rental. Originally there was a three-night minimum.  

“I’m not one to legislate unless a problem comes up,” she said. “Frankly, we have not seen those problems come up, so lowering to a one-night rental makes perfect sense, because nobody is going to spend the time to clean and do the laundry for one night. It’s a lot of work.”