Roger Hannigan Gilson reports for the Times Union that the village of Coxsackie January 25, adopted a moratorium on short-term rentals to give officials time to study whether the rentals should be further regulated. The moratorium imposed a three-month pause on any new Airbnbs, Vrbos, or any property available through a short-term rental website, with the ability to extend the moratorium twice for a total of nine months. The village, with a population of less than 3,000 people, has had an influx of new residents and businesses since the pandemic began and redevelopment of the village center is underway. But members of the village board said interest in the community has also led people to buy properties expressly to rent them out on short-term rental platforms, turning the homes into investment properties. The village currently has 24 short-term rentals, mostly located in or around the Reed Street Historic District. Vacation rentals in the town of Coxsackie bring the total number to 65, a significant increase from the 28 short-term rentals reported in the fourth quarter of 2020. Under current village law, short-term rental owners must register with the village and pay a fee. That requirement was added after one rental "got out of hand" with excessive noise, underage drinking, and police calls, Mayor Mark Evans said. The moratorium will "preserve the status quo," according to village attorney Rob Stout Jr., and allow current short-term rental owners to continue to operate. The moratorium includes a variance for undue hardship. Those looking to establish rentals who believe they would be unduly impacted are able to ask for a variance by appealing to the village board. The city of Hudson and the town of Woodstock currently regulate vacation rentals. Read the full story in the Times Union.