Resident Marianne MacQueen supports the legislation. She hopes council will do as much as they can to discourage non-owner-occupied transient guest lodging, she said, adding that it could be “very serious problem.”
“I don’t know if there are other things that we can do, but that is what kills - that’s what kills a neighborhood,” MacQueen said at the village’s April 5 meeting.
Council made a distinction between this type of housing, which people typically rent out for a weekend to stay in the village, and long-term apartment housing, which is geared towards people who can’t buy a home in the village. The village refers to the transient guest lodging as a “TGL.”
Banning future TGLs in the village was also discussed, but the council decided not to do that because some people rent out rooms or space in their home to guests to offset the cost of living in Yellow Springs. This legislation was not supposed to discourage that from continuing.
Councilwoman Laura Curliss said she has a disused TGL in the back of her house but said she did not think that was a reason to recuse herself from the discussion.
At the April 19 meeting, MacQueen asked if there would be support from council members to put the tax towards a fund for affordable housing.
Several council members said they were worried about the details of such a plan.
“Marianne, my concern would be that there’s no allocation for staff time, which is a real cost involved in administrating this various transit - transit guest lodging stuff,” said council member Lisa Kreeger.
Three Yellow Springs residents submitted comments in writing to the village council at its April 19 meeting, two against the lodging tax and one for it.
“We are trying to stay in the community we love while adjusting to the increased utility and tax costs,” a letter signed by Thea Tremain and Keith Grzelak, who said in their letter that they rent out two Airbnbs and reside on-site.
But there is support for such a tax.
“Having non‐resident investors buy houses here to build a stock of short term rentals will lock out those who want to put down roots here,” Rebecca Kuder said in a letter to council.
Council has not made any decision on this topic yet. Further consideration of the problem is expected at upcoming village council meetings.
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