I live in my barn so I can afford to stay in Vermont

Dear Editor,

I have one message for anyone in the Legislature talking about taxing second-home owners more. I am on the edge of having to sell up and move south because property taxes are almost as much as my mortgage.

I bought my home on 18 acres in 2007: a very simple ranch house, a run-down garage apartment and a small horse barn. After a breakup, I needed to buy my partner out, but I couldn’t afford to keep living in the house. So I took what was left in my 401(k), hired some cowboys to make the barn livable, and moved into it. I rented out my actual home and the little cottage so I could afford to stay in Vermont — barely. At times, I was literally surviving on potatoes from the garden and eggs from my hens.

I tried long-term rentals, but a couple of very bad tenant experiences left me with losses of $15,000 to $20,000 each time. When you’re already living on the financial edge, you simply cannot absorb that, and Vermont’s tenancy laws do not protect small landlords, while they encourage bad tenants.

Eventually, my choice was to sell and move south or find another way to stay. For me, that way was short-term renting through Airbnb. I had to refinance to do up the house, and my very kind ex-boyfriend co-signed for me because I didn’t meet the income requirements. Running an Airbnb is incredibly time-consuming and much harder work running than many people imagine. Between platform fees, Vermont taxes and fees, maintenance and running costs, even breaking even can be a struggle.

It has taken an enormous amount of blood, sweat and tears to stay here. I still live in the barn. It’s difficult to heat, and I don’t even heat my bedroom. I am hardly living high off the hog.

And I’m not alone. Other Vermonters are in similar circumstances, renting out their homes so they can afford to remain on their own properties and in their communities.

I understand the concern about housing. But please leave room in this discussion for people like me. For some of us, short-term renting is what has allowed us to keep our homes. Policies that overlook that distinction risk pricing us out.

Lou White

Hartland, Vt.

Read the story on VTDigger here: I live in my barn so I can afford to stay in Vermont.