TOWN OF PEQUAYWAN
ST. LOUIS COUNTY
- Overnight occupancy of a short term rental shall be limited to no more than two (2) persons per bedroom. Over populating will lead to overuse of septic tanks that are built to handle a certain amount of people. If a septic system isn’t properly functioning, it could not only cause a lot problems, but also pose a potential health risk. Improperly functioning septic systems may introduce contaminants, bacteria and pathogens into the ground water table. Wells are also susceptible to getting contaminated from improperly functioning, overused systems. So, individuals may be drinking things that could be bad for their health and make them sick.
- Owners should be limited to one (1) short term rental bi-weekly, meaning a full 14 days must pass between the start date of rentals. A reduced turnover of guests reduces the risk of increased traffic, parking problems, noise, disruptions to the neighborhood, and incidents of trespass, theft and littering. It also supports a more desirable clientele.
- A buffer of at least 500 feet must exist between short term rental dwellings to prevent clustering of short term rentals. This would protect private landowners from being literally surrounded by rental dwellings.
- Lake size should dictate the number of short term rentals allowed on any given lake. For example, one (1) short term rental per 100 acres, would mean a limit of three (3) short term rentals on a 300-399 acre lake.
- Operators of vacation rentals should be required to maintain a business license as required by the state and county, and must collect and remit required lodgers and sales taxes. Vacation rental permits should be non-transferable. The sale or transfer of a property with a vacation rental automatically invalidates the permit.
- Owners must provide all watercraft and motors for the renters. This includes kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, paddle boards and any non-motorized watercraft. Renters are not permitted to put their own watercraft in the lake to prevent the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS).
- In conclusion, the regulation of short term rentals should be based on a collective agreement that the main component of what makes a neighborhood is the people who live there.
Adopted this 2nd day of December 2019.
Approved by Supervisors Charles Kuettel, Douglas Dressen and Don Swanstrom; and attested by Clerk Lita Wallace