Doug Robinson: Reasonable rules for housing, but not more restrictions

To The Daily Sun, 

As the Laconia City Council considers amending Section 235‑41 to further restrict short‑term rentals — including limiting them in single‑family neighborhoods and blocking their use in ADUs — it’s time for some straight talk from the people who actually live here.

Most residents aren’t running hotels. Most homeowners trying to keep up with rising taxes, heating costs, and the basic expense because our homes have double in value since COVID, it the only way of staying in the community we all love. For many, being able to rent an ADU or a portion of their home is the difference between staying afloat and falling behind. Taking that option away doesn’t “protect neighborhoods.” It puts even more pressure on the very neighbors the City council claims to be protecting.

Laconia’s zoning ordinance, Section 235‑41, does not explicitly prohibit short‑term rentals in single‑family zones or ADUs. And the New Hampshire Supreme Court has already made this clear. In Working Stiff Partners v. Portsmouth (2019) and Town of Conway v. Kudrick (2023), the Court ruled that short‑term rentals remain a lawful residential use unless a zoning ordinance unmistakably bans them. Ambiguity must favor the homeowner — not the municipality. That’s exactly why some officials want to change the language now.

So when the city council talks about “clarifying” the rules by adding new restrictions, let’s call it what it is: an expansion of government control over private property. That’s not something Laconia should be known for.

We need reasonable rules and a clear way to hold bad actors accountable — but fewer restrictions, not more. Let’s support responsible homeowners instead of punishing them.

Douglas Robinson

Laconia