Thomas and Susan Amisson are excited to welcome their first-ever Airbnb guests to their upstairs bedroom and sitting area this weekend.

They remodeled the home after their children moved out, and saw an opportunity to be ambassadors for their community.

"We're big fans of Beacon," Mrs. Amisson said. "We're very local. We shop local. We know the area pretty well, and I'm more than willing to send business on to Main Street."

The Amisson's first guests could be among their last, if certain action is taken by Beacon City Council.

In a recent work session, council discussed possible laws that could require short-term lodging hosts to install sprinklers, a 2x3 escape window and/or a fire escape.

"I think that if that became a regulation, then it would be prohibitively expensive for us to do," Mrs. Amisson said.

A group of citizens, about 70 strong, has been petitioning Mayor Randy Casale to impose restrictions on temporary rentals to keep their neighborhoods from being overrun by a constant stream of visitors.

"They were pounding on my house at 3 o'clock in the morning," Beacon resident Dennis Pavelock said about some recent visitors. "And their Airbnb was across the street. They were drunk and disorderly."

Mayor Casale said he is concerned about Airbnb's potential effect on the local housing market, fearing it may lessen the number of available long-term rentals and drive up costs.

He also said his residents and building inspector have expressed safety concerns, which can be addressed through current state and city regulations that already exist, if Airbnb rentals are dealt with in the same way the city deals with traditional apartment complexes and hotels.

"I have residents calling me, asking why I am not enforcing the laws that are on the books, which means they're illegal," Mayor Casale said ahead of Monday's council meeting. "I can't sit here as the leader of the community and not enforce laws already on the books when it's brought to my attention."

In its written testimony, an Airbnb spokesperson said that 110 hosts welcomed 9,100 guests in 2017, and the typical host rented out space for four nights per month.

The company's stance is that these hosts are nothing like commercial operators, and therefore, should not be held to those same standards.

Mayor Casale said council is going to address the Airbnb issue again next week in a work session, and there may be a vote on clarified short-term rental policy at the following regular council meeting.