NOTE: On Monday March 17, by a 3-2 vote the Tobyhanna Township supervisors voted 3 to 2 in favor of a resolution to rescind the STR cap, a clear victory for property rights here in the Poconos. Poconos VRO co-founder Marty Nicoll spoke at the meeting, he had two key messages: Don’t interfere with the real estate market with arbitrary caps, you are hurting people. Let the market do what it does...
Laws & Regulation news
Attorney Eric Smith to discuss the case at Poconos VRO Conference on March 6 For those in the STR industry in the Pocono, a recent court decision shows promise that vacation rentals in certain communities will not vanish. On February 12, 2025, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied The Association of Property Owners of The Hideout, Inc.‘s application for appeal, thereby upholding a prior Commonwealth...
As short-term rentals (“STRs”) continue to thrive in the Pocono Region and across Pennsylvania, it is important that owners, buyers and owners’ associations (HOAs/POAs) understand their rights. In several recent cases, overreaching HOAs have had their restrictive STR policies overturned and appeals have gone as high as the state's Commonwealth Court. You can read more about Short-Term Rentals Win...
There has been two significant win in Commonwealth Court in a case called Ruffled Grouse Ridge Owners Association versus Charles Hura. The second in a case called L. Chan; et al. v. The Assoc. of Property Owners of The Hideout, Inc. In both cases, HOA's were determined to have gone well beyond their founding authority and seem to be setting the groundwork for some easing of community restraints on vacation...
There has been a significant win in Commonwealth Court in a case called Ruffled Grouse Ridge Owners Association versus Charles Hura. Ruffled Grouse Ridge is a small community in the northern part of the Poconos, in Lakeville, Paupack Township, Wayne County. Homes here have a restrictive covenant tied to their deeds which includes giving an owner’s association regulatory powers. The association...
As a realtor who specializes in helping people find vacation rental properties, I see a lot of interesting interpretations of the rules which is one of the primary reasons we have so many rules. You should assume that to operate a vacation rental or short-term rental in the Poconos, you will need a municipal license. It is very rare that a municipality in this tourist area doesn’t identify where STR is...
Short-term Rentals (STR) in Pennsylvania are regulated by the local municipalities. Pennsylvania has three official forms of municipal governments, cities, townships, and boroughs. Municipalities have the right to restrict this use of a home through Zoning and they have the right to regulate STR through local ordinances and licensing processes. To give you a sense of the scale, there are 2,560...
There are indeed risks associated with regulations that will impact a STR Business. Operators who are willing to invest time and effort to influence the political forces that impact their business can help minimize that risk. Here we explore how.