ALPOA Rental Guidelines

Authority

The Ashford Lake Property Owners’ Association (ALPOA), through its Board of Directors, duly elected by the Members, is authorized to set the guidelines listed herein. This authority is granted in the Covenants of the Association (#5, #14, #27), the By-Laws of the Association, Article II (d) and Article V, Sec. 3, and the Common Interest Ownership Act, Sec. 47-244 (a) (6). While the Town of Ashford Planning and Zoning Commission has instituted regulations governing short-term rentals in Ashford, ALPOA has the authority to set rental guidelines for properties in both Ashford and Eastford.

Purpose

Ashford Lake is a small, quiet residential community. Most property owners are full-time residents, some are part-time residents, and some owners offer their property to others on a temporary basis. These guidelines are provided in the interest of public safety and to promote harmony between residents and temporary occupants in their common enjoyment of Ashford Lake.

Definitions

Rental Property: A premises that is offered on either a long or short-term basis to transient occupants in exchange for a fee. This is a “special use,” separate and distinct from either full or part-time residency.

Landlord / Host / AKA Operator: The person renting his or her property on a long or short-term basis and the person responsible for a tenant / guest’s behavior.

Tenant / Guest: The person(s) occupying a property on a temporary, transient basis.

GUIDELINES: Practical, common-sense recommendations offered to operators of both long and short-term rentals for inclusion at their discretion into the conditions under which they offer their property to tenants / guests. A guideline may reflect a practice that is common to residents in general or may be specific to a rental property. Landlords / hosts are encouraged to adapt them as appropriate into the information they provide to their tenants / guests at the rental property.

Guidelines

1. Operators of short-term rentals in Ashford must obtain the requisite special permit from the Ashford Planning and Zoning Commission and adhere to all conditions of approval, including residency requirements, occupancy rules, parking requirements, etc.
2. Operators of short-term rentals must, as a courtesy to abutting property owners, provide contact information and agree to respond to all reported problems within a reasonable period of time. Consider having a back-up person in place to respond to a reported problem in case you are not available.
3. Inform tenants/guests to observe quiet hours between 10 PM and 7 AM. Be cognizant that sound carries around the water and of the close proximity of neighboring properties.
4. Inform tenants/guests of posted speed limits and advise caution when driving/walking on Association roads.
5. Provide boats, kayaks, or canoes for short-term tenants/guests. In order to safeguard against invasive aquatic species being introduced into our lake, short-term tenants/guests should not be permitted to bring their own boats, etc.
6. Provide Personal Flotation Devices for all registered tenants/guests. Require their use for children in boats.
7. Inform tenants/guests that there are no lifeguards on Association beaches and swimming is at their own risk. Also, the water is shallow and there is no diving off rafts.
8. Inform tenants/guests that any activity on ice has risk and provide a safe ice thickness chart.
9. Provide parking passes for tenants/guests if they wish to drive to Sunset or East Beach.
10. Provide designated parking areas for tenants/guests and advise against trespassing on neighbors’ property.
11. If pets are allowed, inform tenants/guests of the ALPOA leash policy and provide bags for picking up pet waste.
12. Consider the installation of exterior security cameras and privacy-safe noise monitoring devices to keep abreast of activity on rental property.
13. Consider the installation of motion-sensing lighting and be sure that lights do not shine directly at abutting homes.