GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The town will soon begin contacting short-term rental (STR) property owners who must comply with new STR registration requirements in the early months of 2023.

 

The registration process was expected to begin as of Jan. 1, but Town Manager Mark Pruhenski said that the online registration setup is somewhat behind schedule. 

 

"Our team is working hard to get the registration and fee payment portal designed and tested before going live," he said.

 

Property owners subject to registration will be contacted by the town, by mail, to initiate the process, said Pruhenski. A registration fee schedule will be established by the town as well.

 

"Property owners don't need to contact us -- we will contact you to get this process moving forward," said Pruhenski.

 

A new town bylaw adopted this year places restrictions on certain types of short-term rental operations in town. The town has contracted with an outside company, GovOS, to register properties that fall under the new regulations. Those properties are now being identified using technology provided by GovOS.

 

The town's Short-Term Rental (STR) bylaw can be found here.

 

"Property owners will hear from us soon," said Pruhenski.

 

The town contact for STR matters will be Stephen Browning, the town's health inspector.