Innkeeping has been around since before Jesus’ birth. We innkeepers have a long and storied history. But thanks to a few Senators, they want to see our livelihood pushed to the side. So much for New Hampshire being a great place to run a small business.

Even our illustrious Governor is all in for this bill.

I recently testified against SB249 which prohibits towns from banning in any area, short term rentals of any single or double family home and removes the

town’s ability to set regulations, licenses, or enforcement. To make the bill appear to be regulation, it includes language that that towns MAY enforce short term rentals to register, and MAY collect a nominal fee for it. Doubtful that will happen. Many small towns make up tourist areas – the whole state is a tourist area. But do you truly believe that small towns can pony up money so they can hire a zoning/codes enforcement officer?

Additionally, the person that lists their house for rent does not even need to be on site. They can be in another town, state, or country. How’s that going to work out when the police show up for an out-of-control kegger party?

To become a legitimate bed & breakfast in New Hampshire, one needs to hit certain benchmarks. We must live on site. We need a minimum of 4 rooms to rent – with no more than two rooms sharing a bath.

We need to register our name with the state. We collect the 8.5% meals & rental tax for the state. We need to have our kitchens inspected and licensed. On a side note – many Airbnb’s are serving food – are they inspected?

Nope. We need to carry commercial insurance. Rumor has it that AirBnB offers hosts insurance – but seriously, do they really pay out? Your homeowner’s insurance will not cover you if you are collecting money for renting a space.

We need to be hardwired to our local fire depts and have that system monitored. Some B&B’s must get their boilers inspected.

One other item that sets us apart. When local charities are looking for donations for an event, raffle, whatever – who do they reach out to? Not AirBnB hosts.

I have lost track of the number of gift certificates and breakfast baskets I have donated to local – and not so local – charities.

Bed and breakfasts are known for their comfortable surroundings, quiet areas, and cleanliness. As I look back, bed and breakfasts are never in the news for loud parties, guests that trash the places, fires, or even, deaths.

Just in the past year, over 200,000 complaints have been registered with AirBnB. Legitimate bed and breakfasts do not receive complaints about over parking. Or fireworks. Or noise past 11 p.m.

SB249 is cloaked as allowing the person with a second home to rent it a week or two to help pay the taxes. If passed, the bill is going to be a nightmare for towns, and for your

neighborhood.

Under this bill, an investment group can buy all the houses around your property and turn each of them into a short-term rental property–essentially a mini-hotel–and the town can do nothing about it. Or, worse, every affordable house that a working family might buy will be bought up and turned into short term rentals buy a group with a pool of cash. Sort of makes you wonder what kind of cronyism might have started this bill!

If this is what you want your neighborhood – and town – to turn into, and if you want legitimate bed & breakfasts to become a thing of the past, then do nothing.

If you want to preserve the peacefulness of your town then call your representatives and Governor and tell them, you want your town to be allowed to have local control and to vote NO on SB249.

Heidi Milbrand is owner of Pleasant View B&B in Bristol and president of the New Hampshire B&B Association.