Village in the Hamptons bans short-term rentals before Labor Day weekend
A village in the Hamptons on New York's Long Island is banning short-term home rentals, just as Labor Day weekend beach plans kick into gear.
Southampton Village homeowners can no longer rent out their properties for less than two weeks at a time after the village amended its code.
Village leaders were hearing crowd complaints
Southampton Village police and leaders said trustees passed the new two-week minimum for home rentals across the chic and historic Hamptons beachfront after hearing homeowners complain all summer.
Up until now, it was the only South Shore village without rental restrictions.
"People that just come in for the weekend and are gone, they're not invested in the community and they can cause some disruption and harmony to residential neighborhoods," Mayor William Manger said.
Hamptons realtor Paul Brennan, with Douglas Elliman, said weekend traffic and crowds are out of control.
"Having been in the business for 40 years, I like the stability of knowing who is going into my house and control over what goes on in a rental," Brennan said.
Maya Bendiab and her friends from Manhattan rented a house to spend the weekend together at the beach. They're among the last with rights to a short-term rental.
"We booked through Airbnb back in March for just a long weekend and it's with 11 girls," Bendiab said.
Hamptons businesses worry about bottom lines
Southampton restauranteur Zach Erdem, who owns 75 Main, and other merchants are worried about how the short-term rental ban is going to impact their bottom lines.
"It's going to hurt the businesses, small businesses, especially the seasonal business that we have here relying on the tourists," Erdem said.
Village trustee and toy store owner Roy Stevenson said complaints centered around parties and weekend rentals bolstered by Airbnb.
"As a village trustee and as a business owner, we've got to do the right thing for quality of life," he said.
Homeowner Tom Sleeman thinks the ban will lead to improvements.
"We are out here to have a nice time, but it's getting out of control," he said.
An Airbnb spokesperson told CBS News New York in a statement that the company "has had a ban on parties since 2020, and while they remain extremely rare with fewer than 0.06% of reservations on Airbnb in New York resulting in an allegation of a party in 2024, we are committed to working with Southampton officials to provide the village with tools for hosts and guests to quickly and appropriately address nuisance and safety concerns while ensuring home sharing remains an economic lifeline for residents and local businesses alike."