BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — One village resident wants the village to develop regulations to govern Airbnb businesses here.

Currently AirBnb.com lists 36 locations in the village for Airbnb style rentals.

Lou Ann Lange, of Elm Street, told the village board at their May meeting that regulation of Airbnbs is “becoming a real issue nationwide” and that communities like Lake George and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, are hosting Zoom workshops on regulating and cataloging rentals in their communities.

“Now I know Potsdam is not exactly in the league with those tourist Meccas but it’s real clear that municipalities all over the country are beginning to inventory the number of Airbnbs within their municipalities and they are beginning to introduce regulations. And I think we should do that as well,” Lange said.

“You are probably aware of the problems that arise from these,” Lange said. She said in every one of the workshops that she has attended the problems were “all the same.” She said one of the issues is that communities want to maintain a reasonable, affordable stock of housing for year round residents.

Others were maintaining the integrity of neighborhoods.

“Most people who rent an Airbnb are perfectly decent and maybe they behave in a civilized way. But there are lots and lots of places where there are problems and that puts a real strain on neighborly feeling,” Lange said. She said it also puts a strain on local law enforcement with trash and parking issues.

She suggested the village consider an occupancy tax for Airbnbs like that leveled on hotels. Lange said she hoped the village trustees would begin to consider the options.