Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Catskill Village Board, voting 3 to 0, recently approved a resolution imposing short-term rental fees. Text of the new rule was not publicly available at the time of the vote, so citizens could not comment or give feedback to board members. Text of the new rule was also not available after the vote. As of late 2020, owners of short-term rental properties in the village have been required to obtain a permit and comply with certain standards, board member Natasha Law said in a statement. Owners must have a permit and the property is subject to an inspection by the village Code Enforcement Officer. The cost of a permit is $375; an annual property inspection is $125, according to the resolution. "Owning an STR [short-term rental] is a business,” Law said. “...They are making a profit by renting out their homes. Whether it be an apartment, a room or the entire house. All businesses are required to have annual fire inspections, health inspections, pay insurance and other fees in order to be able to operate, so why should an STR be any different?” There are more than 9,000 second homeowners in Greene County, according to a study by the county Economic Development and Planning Department. Greene County had 45,300 Airbnb guest arrivals in the summer of 2019, ranking third among the counties in the Capital Region. Greene and Columbia counties have more than 2,000 Airbnb units combined, according to the state Hospitality and Tourism Association. A 2018 study by I Love New York estimated that Airbnb rentals represented 50 percent of Greene County’s lodging income. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.