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Act 10: Legislation Impacting Short-Term Rental Operators

MONTPELIER, Vt.—During this year’s special legislative session, the Vermont General Assembly passed legislation requiring that all short-term rental operators post a Vermont Meals and Rooms Tax account number on any advertisement for the short-term rental beginning July 1, 2018.

Operators who advertise through an online platform that has an agreement with the Vermont Department of Taxes to collect and remit tax, like Airbnb, may post the tax account number used by that platform. If they use the platform’s tax account number, they are not required to open a meals and rooms tax account for locations where the platform is collecting tax on their behalf. For any rentals handled independently of any such platform, however, operators must maintain a meals and rooms tax account and post that account number on any advertisement for the short-term rental. A meals and rooms tax account number may be obtained by registering online with the department at myVTax.

This legislation also requires that the operator post in each unit the telephone number of the individual responsible for the unit. The operator also must post in each unit contact information for both the Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Safety.

Existing and new operators should expect to receive an information packet about the health, safety and financial obligations of short-term rental operators, prepared by the Department of Taxes, Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety. The packets will include information regarding the importance of reviewing options for property and liability insurance with the operator’s insurance company. In addition, each packet will include a self-certification form relating to health and safety precautions short-term rental operators must take into consideration prior to renting a unit. The form must be retained by the operator but does not have to be filed with the Department of Health.