VT Short-Term Rental ADU if Not Zoned?

[Brian Kantor]

Hi, guys. My wife and I are considering the purchase of a vacation property duplex in Vermont with a massive detached garage that we'd like to finish and turn into a standalone unit for short-term rentals.

The property is currently zoned as a two-family residential. While I know this means that we can't turn the garage into a legal 3rd unit for a long-term tenant, but are the laws different with regards to a shirt term rental? Would we be able to rent the garage unit out on Airbnb without having to get the property rezoned?

On the flip-side, has anyone had any experience in getting a property re-zoned in rural Vermont and can share any insight how easy or tough that might be, how much it might cost, and how long it might take?

Many thanks!

[Kathleen James]

Hey again Brian! Each town up here has different zoning and permitting laws, so your best bet is to reach out to the town clerk's office of the town that you are considering creating this third unit in. The town zoning administrator will be a great resource to you, so definitely introduce yourself and let them know about your plans. 

 Regardless of location, you will most likely need to update your wastewater permit and septic system to have the capacity to support more bedrooms. Depending on the property, this can run you between $5,000 for upgrades to the current septic and/or well to over $20k for a whole new system. I think the best place to start is with the town clerk's office to start forming a game plan for what your specific town would need from you. A good wastewater engineer in the area (the town clerk's office will definitely be able to recommend someone!) will be a great contact for you at this juncture as well.