Failure to register means STR has to shut, or owner could be fined

At Tuesday’s Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees meeting, it was announced only about nine short-term rental site owners have completed the process now required to run a temporary lodging site in the residential zoned districts. That’s out of almost 50 locations identified during a recent canvassing associated with new municipal laws.

The clerk’s office is reminding residents of the pending deadline. Correspondence sent to residents reads, in part:

This letter is a final courtesy notice informing you that an application must be filed with the Clerk’s office, along with payment of $50.00 by March 1, 2023 in order for your short-term rental property to continue operations. The initial letter and application were sent on January 24, 2023 stating the following:

“This letter is to inform you that effective January 17, 2023 the Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees adopted Local Law #2023-1 – Short-Term Rentals. The entire code can be found at https://villageoflewiston.net/. The code reads the owner of a short-term rental must apply for a Special Permit to continue operations as such. The above listed properties are on the approved list of properties eligible for application(s). No other short-term rental properties will be considered at this time.”

If short-term rental operations continue without following the required application process and/or approval, you will be subject to fines up to $1,000 per day, and a cease and desist order will be issued.

Please contact the Village Office at 716-754-8271 or [email protected] should you have any questions.

Those who fail to complete this new process, “could lose the opportunity to even run a short-term rental,” Trustee Tina Coppins said.

Mayor Anne Welch said, “They really need to call and come in and make that appointment.”

See also >> Village of Lewiston adopts new short-term rentals law