Adams Planning Board Begins Short-Term Rental Bylaw Process, Eyes June Draft

ADAMS -- May 11, 2026, Adams Planning Board opens short-term rental bylaw process with no local rules currently on the books. The board hosted Brett Roberts, principal planner for housing at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, who told members that 45 short-term rentals are registered with the state in Adams but that the registry provides only street names, not addresses, leaving the town unable to inspect or enforce against them. Roberts drew on a 2024 UMass Donahue Institute study showing Berkshire County property owners need only about 3.3 days of short-term rental income to match a full month of long-term rent, a ratio higher than that of Cape Cod counties. Board members coalesced around three priorities: annual inspections equivalent to what long-term landlords already face, parking and occupancy standards, and a local registration requirement that ties state DOR numbers to specific addresses. Public commenter Peter Weiner urged the board to "start with what exactly are my goals" before drafting restrictions, while two written comments from Cincinnati-based property owner Paula Hayden, who rents 16 Maple Street through Airbnb, warned that excessive regulation would cause her to sell. Roberts will return in June with draft bylaw language; Building Commissioner Brian Duval is also expected at that session.