Greenwood citizen vocalizes concerns with renters

GREENWOOD — Betsey Foster came forward at a Greenwood Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, November 23, to share her concerns about houses in Greenwood being rented out to people who didn’t live in the community. Foster, who is a resident, suggested creating a registry to keep track of who’s property was being used as a short term rental as a starting block.

However, selectman Norman Milliard said, “You know, I’m not against any of this. But the big question mark in my mind, is we know all the properties in town. If you actually went down the road to create some sort of registry, how do you monitor that? How do you ensure that somebody who buys a home who just goes ahead and does this, what’s to prevent them from doing it without being part of the registry. And if you have a registry, what kind of enforcement do you do if they don’t comply with the registry? It’s really complex.”

Foster suggested those in Greenwood who were renting and profiting should be reporting the revenue on their state income taxes. However, it was brought up by Selectman Jordan that those renting out their houses already pay taxes on their house and have the right to rent their home.

The Selectmen tabled the item to a future meeting. The Board could consider holding a public hearing on the topic to get public input and guidance to determine if a registry or regulations for short term rentals are needed in Greenwood.