OTTER TAIL COUNTY – New vacation home rental rules went into effect July 1 in Otter Tail County.
The week before the new ordinance went into effect for people renting their homes in Otter Tail County, they gave new owners until Aug. 1 to get their license and sent old owners a reminder of the changes, said Chris Leclair, director of land and resource management. Some agreed to continue renting, others did not.
The new regulation addresses complaints regarding occupancy and noise in rental properties.
The new regulations created a licensing program and set standards for occupancy, parking, pets and noise.
Owners must respect quiet hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
If the owner receives three violations from the county, his rental license will be revoked.
According to Leclair, 95% of current property owners would not be affected because they are respectful and take care that their guests do not disturb the peace of their neighborhood.
There have been no further complaints so far.
Before the complaints in May, there were about 230 holiday homes available every day. Now there are 316.
“We see an increase in our transient population over the summer, so it’s logical that it’s currently at 316. I would imagine that number will go back down to the low 200s after Labor Day,” LeClair said.
Because vacation home rentals are constantly changing, LeClair’s goal is to license 90% of new owners under the new regulation, but so far they’re only halfway there.
LeClair added, “They’re part of lake life in Otter Tail County and we want them to succeed. So as long as we can find a balance between using our own property and respecting our neighbors, I think it will settle down and become a bit of a normalcy in Otter Tail County.”
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