Laconia Does Not Need an Intrusive Regulatory System for Short Term Rentals - Granite Grok

Laconia Does Not Need an Intrusive Regulatory System for Short Term Rentals

a statement of need, a definition of the problem, and who they are solving it for

Let’s be clear. The Laconia City council does not need to impose a regulatory system for short term rentals. Not any more than it needs to impose an income tax or to control interstate commerce.

It is a false assertion made by the “reporters” at the Daily Sun that something needs to be done. Don’t accept that. They are creating a straw man about Airbnb.

Thoughtless action

The City Council wisely decided not to act Monday night. Unwisely they called for the rules to be written in a more restrictive way. Laconia is a terrible place to do business. It does not need more restrictive rules. Laconia is already unnecessarily restrictive, litigious and controlling. It is obvious from the suggestion by the mayor that the City has not thought the issue through.

Missing from the conversation is a statement of need, a definition of the problem, and who they are solving it for. Is the issue an enforcement issue? The mayor reportedly said it is essential to preserve housing stock which is in short supply for people who live and work in the area. Is that actually true? Are rents rising rapidly? That might be an indicator of a housing shortage.

What are the mayor and council trying to accomplish?

Here’s what is wrong with the mayor’s position. No one is going to come to Laconia to rent a vacation spot behind Goody Goods Donuts, which are the best donuts in the area by the way. But that assertion is just silly. What does Airbnb do? Are the mayor and council trying to control Airbnb or are you imposing further city control on single-family residential housing?

If controlling Airbnb is the aim why are you imposing business regulations on private single-family homeowners? If Laconia is a center of tourism, which is a point of considerable debate, by the way, it should define the problem before it acts. Is it an issue of tourism; housing shortage; the character of the neighborhoods or is it simply local communists wanting greater governmental control of your single-family residential property? They don’t want to own your property. They just want to control it. Why do we have property rights again? Why do we buy a home?

What is Laconia and what does it want to be?

My perception is Laconia has allowed itself to become a social dumping ground for the State of New Hampshire for decades. First, the State School closed relocating its residents in the downtown. Then the state prison system started releasing all of the state prison inmates into the community. These things have tended to suppress property values and rents in Laconia.

Conclusion

It has created an atmosphere not conducive to bringing in new families. Laconia has great drug rehabs. It does not have a vibrant center or a growing industrial base. There are reasons the city has a huge base of low-income housing. If Laconia wants a better future it needs change. But this isn’t it. Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.

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