Jackson has new short-term rental rules in effect for 2024.
Officials have said they are a balance between helping residents make some extra money off their property and keeping neighborhoods from being overrun with visitors.
In short, homeowners will need to get a business license and a permit to rent their properties out, combined running about $750 dollars altogether.
“Short term” is now defined as 30 days or less, and for neighborhoods outside the Lodging Overlay, which is essentially around Snow King and near the town square. Residents get to have three rentals a year, not to last 60 days total.
Depending on where the property is located, you may need to get your HOA to sign off on renting it out, notify your neighbors and reapply each year.
Jackson Planning Director Paul Anthony told residents in December there won’t be active enforcement, because there’s just not enough staffing. Instead the town will rely on complaints, which he said could have been challenging in the past but will be easier now thanks to a new registration system.
“We will know for every house that is in a residential area,” Anthony said during a Jackson “Chat with Council and Staff” virtual meeting. “We can very quickly check to see, ‘do they have a permit’ and if they have a permit, ‘do they have a rental date that we’re getting a call about.’”
Town council member Jonathan Schechter said he thought officials had crafted a solid plan.
“I think we’ve done a good and integrity-filled job trying to find the balance that led up to this set of regulations,” Schechter said. “We’ll give it a try and don’t go hating on us too much if it isn’t perfect.”
Some residents wondered if they would need to register guests who come to visit. But Anthony said it’s not a concern unless they are being charged to stay. If a homeowner plans to have someone pay to stay in a spare bedroom, they’ll need to apply for a permit.
Breaking the new short-term rental rules could mean not being issued a permit for the next five years.
The town began accepting short-term rental applications late last year and they may take more than a month to process.
