Bar Harbor, ME sets trap to destroy unregistered short-term rentals

We all joke about artificial intelligence taking over the world, but…

Every time I watched Terminator, I always kind of laugh, but I always feel uncomfortable while laughing. One would like to think that this is something that only lives in the movies and that’s it. But every day it seems like there’s another way AI technology is creeping into our everyday lives.

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Sometimes it’s our music, or TV, or weird photos on the internet that just don’t look right. But in more practical ways, computers can be asked to perform tasks that would take us forever to do by hand, but are not remotely difficult work for computer software. Really, how hard is it for a computer to simply monitor and report? Sounds harmless, right?

Well, it depends…

The the city of Bar Harbor obviously there are a lot of short term, Airbnb stylish rental. There are tons of sites out there right now that offer the same idea…a place you can rent to stay in that isn’t a hotel/motel, more or less. As such, Bar Harbor has some pretty specific rules about them, not the least of which is that they must be registered.

The City requires all STRs to be registered by May 31 of each year. Failure to do so can result in a hefty $1,500 fine. Penalties escalate from there for additional violations.

The city has implemented some special software that will comb through dozens of STR websites and over time can find out which ones are registered and which ones are not. And working overtime, in the last few days alone, the software has detected 18 real estate violations, according to Mount Desert Islander.

Not everyone will like this.

For years, STRs were like the wild west. There weren’t many regulations. Towns like Bar Harbor are left scratching their heads about whether or not this is okay. Although the residents have probably come to rely on them as a source of income, especially with the premium prices you can get in an area like this.

Read more: Here’s what Bar Harbor looked like in 2020 without tourists

Anecdotally, it’s an extremely controversial move among residents, but it seems to be moving forward, just the same. Warnings are handed out, and eventually there will be fines. Only time will tell how everything will shake out. But if you own an STR elsewhere, expect Bar Harbor to set a new example for other cities.

Instead of renting, you can just buy this place!