The West Tisbury select board passed new short-term rental regulations at its meeting Thursday, adding to the bylaw that was passed at town meeting in April. 

The new regulations cement the process for homeowners to be able to make money by renting out their properties while the town attempts to deter commercial interests from hollowing out the year-round housing stock. 

The bylaw approved by the voters at town meeting required all short-term rentals be registered with the town, and required a two-night minimum booking period. Owners must also reside in the short-term rental for at least 30 days a year, and they can only rent one property out as a short-term rental. 

The regulations approved by the select board in a 2-0 vote Thursday formalized the registration process, inspection requirements, penalties and other aspects of the new rules that weren’t yet clearly stated in the bylaw at town meeting.

“We tried to put the registration form as simple as possible and stick everything in in the rules so that then the applicant says, yes, I’ve read the rules and I agree,” short-term rental committee chair Bea Phear said at a select board meeting last month. 

Select board chair Jessica Miller and vice chair Cynthia Mitchell voted in favor of the new regulations; member Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter abstained from voting, citing his own three short-term rental properties. 

The registration for a short-term rental must be renewed every two years with an administrative fee of $400.

The new rules were designed to “provide a process through which the Town can continue the historic tradition of a vibrant vacation rental market, such that they may be permitted and registered with the Town for lawful use as short term rentals,” according to the regulation text.

West Tisbury was the first Island town to create a bylaw addressing short-term rentals. Other towns have also started to scrutinize the properties. At a special town meeting last month, Tisbury voted to enact short-term rental regulations, also allowing property owners to have no more than one short-term rental property.