I own one rental property in the township. It is only source of revenue for me. I had no guest issues, no neighbor issues thus far. I screen my guests, and I do not accept instant bookings.
If you ban STR, you are simply cutting my source of income and revenue for local business.

I'm signing because I think it's important to keep the STR market in Tobyhanna alive. It's helping to drive the local economy, maintaining property values and employing a full industry of people who depend on STR in the area- cleaners, handymen, contractors, restaurants, etc. Not to mention it's a necessity to offset the costs of owning a 2nd home or vacation property for the owners and it drives tourism to the area.

The Poconos are what they are today due to tourism. We've all seen the dilapidated and abandoned businesses on the side of the road, we know that will only grow without the influx of tourists and the local industries they support.

I support this movement because I am a homeowner in the Tobyhanna area and believe that everyone deserves the right to rent their home out without the government stepping on our toes.

That being said, I believe in fair and just regulations to help curb the negative side effects of this industry, and nearby neighboring townships have proven there are easy, codified regulations already in practice that work well for everyone.

I believe the new ordinance 7 days minimum/10 people max are unfair based on the current str market and wouldn't solve any of the problems and would actually hurt the local economy rather than heal it. There should be regulations for sure and I agree that the bad apples should be extracted as currently the few bad apples ruin the whole picture for everyone. 100% pro fair regulations and enforcement of them as long as they are reasonable and match the surrounding townships. If Tobyhanna accepts the 7 day min will bring the whole region back to it's devastated and abandoned state like few years back. If it wasn't for the out-of-towners and out-of-staters to buy and bring back to life all the abandoned and foreclosed houses (for their vacation homes) in the area, the local communities' outlook would be much more different than what they are now. I remember how our community looked like some 5 years ago-it was a scary ghost town with rotting houses surrounded by trash.

I own a second home in the Poconos that I spent my entire life savings on. I still need to rent it a few nights a week, usually to people I know, to cover the cost to be able to afford and remain in the house.

These proposals not only do not fix the complaints and short-term issues but will have deeper negative consequences if implemented. Data proves the benefits of short-term rentals and everybody, including people who do not rent, including small businesses will be affected negatively with such unthoughtful proposals of occupancy minimums and day stay minimums.

Wise up, read the data. The people deserve more than a knee-jerk reaction.

I Clean and manage rental properties. This is my livelihood! As long as I can remember the Poconos was a Vacation and Honeymoon Haven. Let's keep it that way!

We recently purchased our home in Emerald Lakes. It was something my father always wanted. It is something I hope to leave to my children and then to theirs etc for many generations. We do use the home as STR property to help offset the costs involved. We had the most amazing Thanksgiving at the property last week. All of us got together and had such a great time the kids asked to do it again next year! How amazing is that?

Unfortunately if the restrictions hold we will not be able to do it again next year as the home would be too expensive for us to keep. We purchased it knowing we could do STRs and help offset the costs. On top of this, I believe that the STRs really help stimulate the economy. I currently work with a cleaning company, maintenance crew, landscape crew, local linen company, numerous local restaurants and caterers, a small gift basket company, a snowplow guy and so many more! They rely on this business year-round to keep them going! In rough economic times like we are facing now this would be devastating to say the least!

It’s clear that the short-term rentals help sustain local businesses and help the local economy thrive as a whole! One more thing I think is very important is that in the current times with the ongoing pandemic etc many people feel far more secure in their own home as opposed to visiting local resorts etc. the resorts will always draw good guests but the homes are a great option for those who feel uneasy still in large crowds. Let's face it, times are different and regardless of your stance on the pandemic the Poconos offers so many options for everyone! Let's find a mutually beneficial way to keep it like that. As a kid I loved the poconos. I was for I rate enough to find STRs to stay at growing up. I always dreamed of owning a property and we just recently realized our dream. I have fallen in love with the poconos all over again and my children have also! I hope we can enjoy this responsibly for generations.