The Hempstead Town Board voted Tuesday July 11, 2017 to ban short-term rentals in the town’s unincorporated areas, becoming one of Long Island’s latest municipalities to restrict the industry.

The new law, passed unanimously, now prohibits rentals under 28 days and creates a new registry and permit program for all rentals, with a few exceptions. The legislation, which carries a $1,000 fine for first-time violators, aims at short-term rentals through websites such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway. Town employees will monitor those sites to spot violators.

Residents testifying at the board’s public hearing before the vote Tuesday were split on the issue. Lido Beach residents applauded the town board’s effort to curb what they described as unsafe party houses near their beachfront homes, while homeowners in villages such as Hempstead and Garden City, where the law does not apply, said renters put extra money in their pockets and provide an economic benefit to local businesses.

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