They were reported to the Rockingham Board of Supervisors but now, Massanutten residents are appealing the county zoning administrator's decision on short term rentals. Diana Stultz, the County Zoning Administrator ruled that Eric and Kimberly Pisk are in violation of zoning regulations by renting their home out on a short-term basis.

The Pisks say Stultz has "mis-interpreted and mis-applied" the zoning ordinances. They say that the ordinances are vague and are subject to many interpretations. The Board of Zoning Appeals will hear their appeal December 5th. The Rockingham County Zoning Administrator has received around 50 more zoning complaints about these rentals.

Stultz says they are not going to enforce the zoning violations until a decision is made on the first appeal. There are a lot of Massanutten home owners and businesses waiting anxiously to see what happens next.

Michael Chelst is the owner of Massanutten Vacations. His company provides license property management for around 20 homes in Massanutten that are rented out on a short-term basis. Chelst says if the county rules that short-term rentals will not be allowed in Massanutten, his business will no longer exist. "Our employees would have to leave, and they would have to find another job and we would be out of business," says Massanutten Vacations Owner Michael Chelst.

Some say the short-term rental issue is not only affecting vacation renters it's also affecting the Massanutten housing market. For example one house has been on the market for about eight months and it had a contract on it that was contingent upon a resolution. "Someone wouldn't take the contract because they didn't know how long it would take, but the buyer wouldn't buy the property until they knew if they could use it as a vacation home and if their family and their friends could come stay there," says Chelst.

While the county is deciding if short-term rentals will be allowed in Massanutten, some homeowners who are trying to sell their homes are looking into renting them out, in the meantime. "We have had homeowners bring their homes into our program because they've wanted to sell their house and they can't sell it," says Chelst.

Chelst says he feels a compromise can be made if both sides could sit down and give and take. He pointed out that homes in Massanutten have been rented out for about 30 years. He says if short-term rentals are no longer allowed, it will have a huge impact on the entire community.