On March 15, 2022, the Hideout Board of Directors announced its intention to BAN all new short term rentals in the Hideout, and severely impact the ability to rent to those that currently already do so. Based on the language provided, it's pretty clear that the intention is to eventually ban STR altogether.

This change will completely devastate countless local businesses, restaurants, contractors, and vendors that heavily rely on tourism and partnership with STR owners to support their business. 

This change also strips away the right for homeowners that don't currently rent, that either newly purchased and poured money into renovating with the promise that they would be able to rent to help offset the cost. It also strips away the right for long-term dedicated homeowners from having the right to rent should they need to or choose to in the future.

This change also takes away a ton of the value added to homes in the area and will hurt everyone when they eventually go to sell or want to leave their homes to their loved ones. Without the potential to rent, values will inevitably plummet.

Short term rentals currently make up less than 9% of all homes in the Hideout, and owners are already required to follow a vigorous process including providing names, ages, IDs, license plate info, and more for all renters. We have a three-strikes-you're-out policy in that if we violate ANY of the rental laws, we face fines starting at $1000  in addition to paying a hefty $100-250 fee PER rental, directly to the Hideout. These funds amount to over $1,000,000++ dollars of income directly back into the hideout, not including all of the additional amenity and food fees that guests spend at our clubhouse & facilities when visiting.

Please join us in signing this petition AGAINST the ban of these rentals that bring so much value to our homes and communities.

___________________________________________________

Members,

The Board of Directors has decided to formulate a new policy regarding short term rentals. The Board recognizes short term rentals are a concern for many of our members. Members are encouraged to attend the Board meeting scheduled for Saturday March 19, at 9AM. The meeting will be held at the Lodge and also available on Zoom. Please find attached the proposal the Board is recommending. We value the opinions of our membership and recommended changes to the proposal may be accepted by the Board.

 
AND NOW, this Nineteenth day of March, 2022, based on a majority vote of the Board of Directors, the following is hereby adopted as a Resolution of the Board of Directors of The Hideout and a limitation on "rentals”.
    1.  The Hideout is a residential Community.
    2.  The Protective Covenants allow members to rent their homes in The 
         Hideout.
    3.  The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that short-term rentals are
         not consistent with residential areas due to the transient nature of
         short-term tenants.
    4.  A proliferation of short-term rentals have occurred as a result of
         AirBnB's and other online home rental companies.
    5.  The permanence and stability of people living in single-family
          residential neighborhoods creates a sense of community, cultivates
          and fosters relationships, and provides an overall quality of a place
          where people are invested and engaged in their neighborhood and
          care about each other.  
    6.  Short-term tenants have little interest in public agencies or in the
         welfare of the citizenry.
    7.  Short-term tenants do not participate in Hideout committees, social
         groups, sports leagues or other Hideout social functions.
    8.  Short term tenants do not invest themselves in The Hideout
         community.
    9.  Hideout members have a right to enjoy the quiet seclusion of their
         homes.
THEREFORE,
  A - Short term rentals of less than thirty days are prohibited in The Hideout from this date forward; and,
  B - Any home registered with The Hideout as being rented prior to March 1, 2022 until the date of this Resolution may continue to be used for short-term rentals, until such time that the property is sold, gifted or transferred.  This provision applies to any lot owned by a corporation, LLC or similar entity if any ownership in any portion of the corporation or stock in the corporation is transferred.
  C - Upon the sale, gift or transfer of any lot referenced in Section B, the right to rent that lot as a short-term rental shall be forever extinguished.
  D - Rentals in excess of twenty-nine days are not prohibited.