Short-Term Rentals. Safety First!
Posted on 9/29/2025 by Steve Robbins
Short-Term Rentals: Safety First!
The town of Warren recently adopted a Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance which requires owners to register and license their rental property:
Town of Warren Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance
Their definition: “Short-Term Rental (STR)” means a furnished house, condominium, or other dwelling room or self-contained dwelling unit rented to the transient, traveling, or vacationing public for a period of fewer than 3-consecutive days and for more than 14 days per calendar year.
The stated purpose, reads in part: The purpose of this Ordinance is to promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the Town and to effectively mitigate secondary impacts from Short Term Rental (“STR”) operations including but not limited to, adversely impacting the availability of long-term housing while simultaneously preserving the residential character and livability of the community.
I am thrilled the words “health” and “safety” both appear in this first sentence!
The ordinance further lays out STR application and other general requirements as well as defining violations and enforcement procedures.
Some of the requirements include the posting of house number visible from the street, posting a list of emergency contact phone numbers, and attesting that all exterior doors operate, passageways remain clear, electrical systems are serviceable and with no visual defects or unsafe conditions. Warren’s Solid Fuel Burning Ordinance must also be observed.
I again applaud the focus on safety and agree with all of the requirements. As a licensed real estate agent in Vermont for 30 years with rental experience, I believe short term (and most all residential rentals) should be held to an even higher standard, the same one as Inns, Motels and Bed & Breakfast businesses.
And for a simple reason: the renting public deserves the same level of health and safety. These hospitality businesses are required to pass a fire safety inspection by a Vermont Fire Marshal.
My perspective is that if there is an obvious and avoidable safety hazard, which would be detected and subsequently corrected by an inspection, then it should be done in advance, regardless of the nature of the housing, be it public private, for profit or not.
I also believe it is prudent for rental properties to demonstrate the water is potable.
From experience, the companies that advertise your STR do not require such a safety nor water inspection report, with all subsequent risk placed onto the landlord. Many landlords are in fact taking some safety risks, whether knowingly or not.
I have been in the business long enough to remember when Carbon Monoxide detectors were not required. It took a tragedy to make it a statutory standard.
The cost of making an overnight stay safe is small in comparison to the risk.