Southwick officials find enforcing the short-term rental bylaw a challenge

SOUTHWICK — After several landlords complained about short-term rentals in their neighborhood during Monday’s Select Board meeting, the town’s building and health departments said this week they are working to enforce the bylaw governing the rentals.

There’s a big challenge: finding where these vacation rentals are, which can be regular homes listed on services like Airbnb and VRBO.

“If we can’t identify those rentals, it’s a ‘Where’s Waldo’ situation,” said Kyle Scott, the city’s zoning enforcement officer, who is responsible for enforcing the ordinance passed by the May 2023 city meeting.