Short-Term Rentals – A Realtor’s Point of View

by Carol Malek, Malek Properties

FAIR permits and regulations of Short-Term Rentals and enforcement of those permits and regulations is necessary. The key issue is what is prohibitive to economic development?

Short Term Rentals (STRs) are currently under the radar for regulation by some towns in Sullivan County. If regulations are restrictive, excessive and/ or prohibitive we will lose revenue for the towns and the county and we will put unrealistic burdens on the town employees to enforce them. The dollars that circulate this county from the weekend and vacationing visitors are crucial to our small businesses to thrive, so we must be reasonable. There is a need for regulations regarding health and safety. Rentals need to be safe and free from fire hazards and all systems need to be in working order. Furthermore, neighbors of STRs deserve to be assured that their right to quiet enjoyment remains intact. It cannot go unrecognized that there are issues with mis-managed and poorly maintained STRs. Landlords must be responsible and be held accountable.

Short-Term Rentals fill a gap. We need them. The demand to stay for the weekend or a week has grown since Sullivan County opened their arms to area attractions and focused more heavily on the tourism industry. People need a convenient place to lodge when attending concerts and festivals, and many simply want a quick getaway excursion in the country. STRs offer many wonderful and memorable experiences for visitors, they are a casual and cozy alternative to a hotel suite and usually have private outdoor spaces that really enhance the stay.

Having been a Realtor in Sullivan County for 26 years, I can attest that more than 90% of our business comes from the second home market consistently. Oftentimes people who purchase these vacation homes are introduced to the area through the Short-Term Rental experience. They want to be a part of our vibrant communities, and they bring their family and friends.

“Sullivan County” is synonymous with “tourism”. Tourism is our number one industry and has been for as long as I can remember. It brings economic benefits to all of us who live here. These benefits have enhanced the quality of life in Sullivan County and have flourished into outstanding community improvements that we can all enjoy. People who visit this area for a weekend, for a week or for the season make these benefits possible.

Tourists allow our Sullivan County small businesses to grow and succeed. They sustain our incredible food and drink establishments, specialty shops, agribusinesses, boutique hotels, B&B’s, and our recreational enterprises.

Because of them, exciting new attractions have opened including the casino, the Kartrite, Monticello Motor Club and Bethel Woods. We have become a robust tourist destination. We need to keep them coming.

We should focus on keeping people here and making them feel welcome and make the best decisions on how to fairly regulate the STRs. As residents, whether permanent or second homeowners, we all want to be assured that we will have peace and quiet enjoyment of our homes and properties. Our visitors are entitled to safe and secure accommodations without putting undue pressures on neighbors and neighborhoods. We need to keep our warm and inviting Sullivan County Catskills charm and hospitality front and center. This is who we are… and we need to stay open for business!

Roberta Byron-Lockwood President, Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association

How do you feel that tourism has impacted SC in the time you have been here?

The Sullivan Catskills historically was a destination that many aspired to visit due to our popular resorts, wide open spaces, and fresh air. It was an ideal summer escape from the hustle and bustle of New York City. During my tenure, I have experienced our county transform itself. We no longer have large all-inclusive resorts. We have reemerged as a year-round thoughtfully designed destination with our accommodations, attractions and restaurants encapsulating the essence of today’s Sullivan Catskills—soulful, and mindful of our landscapes and environment, creating a sense of place that people from New York and around the world desire to be.

During your tenure - what challenges have you faced and overcome; what strategies are working to build a strong tourism economy in Sullivan County?

Challenges make things very interesting and afford me to be creative as our tourism industry sought to overcome the obstacles. Some of the challenges included the need to rebrand and reinvent ourselves as a thriving, year-round destination and target key travel markets to get their attention and successfully complete in the very competitive travel marketplace space. The SCVA team and board changed our branding, aggressively and strategically marketed the Sullivan Catskills to these markets. As a result, our popularity has grown significantly. We’re now sought after by media, social media influencers, tour operators, travel agents, meeting planners, and visitors all seeking to experience and immerse themselves in the Sullivan Catskills.

Your track record indicates that although we’re a small county, we always compete well with or surpass much larger areas of the state – to what do you attribute that to?

It is all about the brand and how we strategically position Sullivan Catskills as a world class destination. The Sullivan Catskills has the good fortune of being home to the finest of lodging experiences, world class attractions, an exploding craft beverage scene, superior culinary experiences teamed with majestic mountains and the Delaware River. We present to the visitor a quality product (i.e., Website, engaging social media posts, award winning travel guide and brochures, and our new downloadable App, Sullivan Catskills Go!). We position the presence of the Sullivan Catskills at key travel industry domestic and international consumer and trade shows to efficiently and effectively reflect our growing destination. We host travel media, travel influencers and tour operators as well as push out editorials, advertisements, and OTT commercials to renowned national and global media outlets. We develop relationships with travel partners such as airlines, bus companies and numerous others to promote the Sullivan Catskills to their audiences. It is all about positioning our brand in front of the traveling public—always targeting and expanding our reachbeing nimble and readjusting our marketing/promotion strategies to ensure that we are on trend and constantly on the visitor’s mind.

What are the latest trends in travel and tourism and how have you positioned SC to be at the forefront?

The trend is all about immersive travel and experiencing a destination’s beauty, local stories, cuisine and culture. People are more mindful about where their food is coming from, if the hotel or inn where they are staying is sustainable—and most importantly, they want fresh air and open spaces. Visitors want to disconnect yet be close enough to connect quickly to a larger population. It’s now about main streets and embracing the local culture through festivals, local restaurants and attractions. They want to be part of a destination and feel connected to a place.

We remain competitive in the travel space by continuous monitoring trends daily through travel & trade education, attending conferences and participation on statewide tourism boards and committees, all allowing us to be ahead of the trending curve. We work closely and partner with New York State Tourism and our colleagues in the tourism industry to make sure that we are on target for new and innovative trends. Most importantly, we work closely with our public relations and social media teams who also keep us informed about what is new and trending.

How do you work with the partnership? –benefits of working together in our respective areas as part of the ED team. Our collaboration with the SC Partnership is essential to the development of and continued growth of the Sullivan Catskills. While the Partnership focuses on bringing in key businesses and development that will help the overall economic growth of our county, the SCVA can focus on marketing/promoting the Sullivan Catskills as a premier destination to live, work and visit not only affording exceptional visitor experiences and quality of life for residents. The SC Chamber works with both of our organizations to sustain our main streets and small businesses in our county. Our goals are similar, in that we want to increase the overall economic wealth of Sullivan County and working in concert helps both of our organizations quickly attain our milestones.