State budget negotiations continue in Albany and there are last-ditch efforts being made to get various pieces of legislation included in its final version.

One proposal involves the creation of a short-term rental registry. Some municipalities have introduced something similar on the local level and it’s a measure included in both the state Senate and Assembly budget proposals.

Advocates say communities across the state are facing a “severe shortage” of affordable housing and believe the growing number of short-term rentals are a contributing factor.

“In many areas across the state, housing stock is being taken off the market because many homes and places that should be full-time homes have been turned into investment properties and short-term rentals,” said state Sen. Michelle Hinchey, of Saugerties.

The registry would require property owners to register their units with the Department of State every two years. There would be a small fee but supporters of the proposal stress that it’s not a new tax nor would it impact the rental options property owners have today.

A coalition of municipal leaders, housing advocates, people in the tourism and hospitality industry were at the Capitol Tuesday to share these concerns. They said a registry would provide more transparency across the hospitality sector and provide communities with the information and revenue needed to create a more well-balanced scenario when it comes to housing and short-term rentals.

“We don’t have a holistic view at the state level of what that looks like,” Hinchey said.

The Travel Technology Association has been working with been working with state lawmakers on this issue but believe a registry would have a negative impact.

“These policymakers continue to focus on instituting a complex system of regulation that would hurt the upstate economy, make travel more expensive, and reduce the income potential for thousands of New Yorkers who rent their homes to make ends meet,” said CEO Laura Chadwick.