Patricia Spaulding

Dear Members of the Committee, My name is Patti Spaulding, and I am a New Hampshire native—born and raised here in the Lakes Region. I am the owner of Big Lake Properties NH, a locally owned and operated vacation rental management company. Running short-term rentals is not just my business—it is my passion and my family’s livelihood. Through vacation rentals, I have the privilege of creating meaningful experiences for people visiting our beautiful state while directly supporting our local economy. Every guest we host is encouraged to shop at our mom-and-pop stores, dine at local restaurants, explore our state parks, and visit major attractions like Gunstock Mountain, the NH Motor Speedway, and the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. Short-term rentals are not taking away from our communities—they are actively fueling them. I am both a vacation rental property owner and a manager for other New Hampshire homeowners. I care for every home I manage as if it were my own. These are not cookie-cutter investments; they are unique properties—many of them seasonal lake homes, island properties, or homes that simply cannot function as long-term rentals. If these proposed bills pass, many of these homes will not convert to long-term housing—they will simply sit empty for much of the year. The proposed legislation would have a devastating impact on my family and the families I support. I have seven children, and our primary source of income comes directly from hosting guests in New Hampshire. Beyond my own family, my business supports cleaners, maintenance workers, photographers, bookkeepers, and other local service providers who rely on this industry to make a living. New Hampshire’s motto is “Live Free or Die,” and I believe deeply in what that represents. As homeowners who have worked tirelessly to purchase and maintain our properties, we should have the freedom to responsibly use them in ways that support our families and our local economy. Blanket legislation that threatens this freedom does not reflect the values or realities of our state. I respectfully urge you to oppose any legislation that restricts short-term rentals in a way that harms local families, small businesses, and responsible homeowners. Thoughtful, balanced policy should protect communities without dismantling an industry that so many New Hampshire residents depend on. Thank you for your time and consideration, and for listening to the voices of those of us who live and work here. Sincerely, Patti Spaulding Owner, Big Lake Properties NH New Hampshire Native