The referendum to severely restrict short-term rentals in Portland, both on the mainland and the city’s islands, has to be Portland’s most shortsighted proposal yet.

Thousands of people come to Portland year-round to experience our restaurants, culture, historic buildings and cobblestone streets and cruise Casco Bay. Portland hotels are often priced at over $400 a night. At lower overnight costs than hotels, short-term rentals draw most of those tourists to our town. If travelers can no longer afford to visit our town, that means less money for restaurants, servers, cooks, dishwashers and hosts. Jobs will be eliminated. Businesses will close.

Taxes, fees, utilities and maintenance have all increased significantly over the past couple of years for apartment building owners. Many landlords have added a short-term rental to help mitigate these soaring costs rather than raise the rent of their tenants.

The proponents of this referendum claim that restricting short-term rentals to primary residences will help increase the number of affordable apartments. The short-term rentals removed from the market will have to come on the market as long-term rentals at the highest possible rents in order to make up for the aforementioned increased costs.

We already have a successful and workable short-term rental policy worked out over two years of meetings and compromises by Portland’s City Council. Why would we want to be one of the only international destinations that doesn’t encourage tourism and doesn’t support those who are maintaining our housing stock?

Bethany Angle
Cape Elizabeth