The Penn Forest Township supervisors plan to schedule a meeting with representatives from homeowners’ associations around the township to discuss possible rules for short-term vacation homes.

The township currently has no ordinances regulating short-term rentals. But they are considering them because of the growing popularity of the rentals, and a growing number of complaints.

“They can create problems if they’re not properly regulated. And I probably don’t have to tell anyone who’s listening to this, because we’re all aware of these problems,” said Thomas Nanovic, Penn Forest Township solicitor.

The supervisors met Monday to discuss homeowners who advertise their homes on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Many of the homes are located in large private communities like Towamensing Trails, Bear Creek Lakes and Indian Mountain Lake.

While only two residents attended the meeting in person, more than 100 watched online.

Email comments submitted before the meeting ranged from frustrated permanent residents to part-time residents who use short-term rentals to help pay their bills.

Many of the comments on both sides came from Towamensing Trails, which has 2,402 homes. The community’s homeowners’ association has its own rules regulating short-term rentals.

Rosemary Stewart wrote that as the owner of an eight-bedroom, four-bathroom vacation home in Towamensing Trails, she would be concerned if the township imposed occupancy limits or eliminated rentals outright.

Denise Capasso, another resident of the community, wrote that she lives next to a home that consistently hosts 24 guests, and another that hosts 18. She said guests block the streets with their cars and build cooking fires beneath a wooden deck. There is also a smell of sewage on the street.

“What can we do to stop this safety issue and overburdening of our community? Rules, regulations and big fines need to be put in place to stop this kind of behavior,” she wrote.

Dolores Douglas, who attended the meeting in person, said she lives next to a home in Towamensing Trails where there are 3-10 cars every weekend and deals with noise at late hours due to a hot tub in the home’s backyard.

Planning commission member Stacey Venetos, who also lives in Towamensing Trails, said there was another home in the community where a charter bus recently unloaded 40 guests - earning the homeowner a fine from the homeowners association.

Community President Joan Elliott said there are about 200 homes permitted to offer rentals, and the community’s security works to identify and fine homeowners who rent without permission.

At least two supervisors said they would be opposed to banning short-term rentals townshipwide.

Christian Bartulovich said homeowners associations should be able to decide whether they want to allow the practice.

Scott Lignore said there are many township residents who have for years owned part-time homes in the area. They rent them out to help pay the mortgage.

“They’re weekend homes, but when they’re not up for the weekends they rent them out. It’s a vacation home/investment home,” he said.

Supervisor Roger Meckes said if the township decides to officially permit the rentals, they need to come up with regulations for a permit. Other townships in the Poconos have ordinances requiring permits, and allowing fines if their residents violate regulations limiting occupants per bedroom and parking.

Even though the area is known for tourism, Lignore said that there have been more tourists in the area in 2020 than he has seen in years. He pointed to COVID-19 restrictions that have limited them from traveling elsewhere.

“Our resorts, everything is making money up here from them. You gotta take the good with the bad,” Lignore said. “This town is making money from them.”

The meeting with the homeowners associations will be advertised and open to the public, online or in person. Nanovic said the board will likely announce a date during their meeting on Sept. 8.