Jonathan Miles, a business owner on Nantucket since 1990, has gained valuable insights into the local economy and the unique challenges faced by businesses on the island. As his company grew, he recognized the importance of providing housing to ensure a reliable workforce that could return year after year. However, with many employees only spending four months on the island, finding year-round housing proved impractical.
To meet the housing needs of their 32 employees during the eight months when they were not using it themselves, Jonathan’s company turned to short-term rentals. While utilizing short-term rentals during the off-season did not result in significant financial gains, it was crucial in sustaining their operations and preserving local employment.
Jonathan believes that banning short-term rentals would leave many properties vacant for the majority of the year and put both his business and the Nantucket economy at risk. He recognizes that tourism is a crucial part of their island’s economy and eliminating short-term rentals would have negative consequences on local businesses and spending.
Therefore, he urges preserving the option of short-term rentals on Nantucket as essential for maintaining collective prosperity. The repercussions of not taking action on this issue are too significant to ignore.