Luxury beach town goes to war with locals renting out their picturesque homes ... trends now

Nantucket residents are set to duke it out Tuesday over whether short-term rentals should be legalized on their little island off the coast of Massachusetts.

Following a bitter court battle between two neighbors on the island, Land Court Judge Michael Vhay ruled in March that using a home primarily as a short-term rental wasn't permitted in areas zoned for residential use.

This opened up a legal gray area - but tomorrow, residents will go to Nantucket High School's auditorium to vote on Article 59, which would legalize short-term rentals.

The main group against homeowners putting their picturesque homes on Airbnb is called Ack Now, an organization dedicated to preserving the quaint, sea town vibes of Nantucket.

'As (short-term rentals) take over more and more houses in neighborhoods, they really gut the community,' Ack Now founder Peter McCausland told the Boston Globe. 'It's constant turnover. It's like living next to a whole bunch of boutique hotels.' 

Put Nantucket Neighborhoods First is also against Article 59, claiming it will 'primarily benefit off-island investors and commercial interests.'

In the organization's frequently asked questions, it says short-term rentals drive up home prices, making housing completely unattainable for the vast majority of people at a time when the island's population has grown by 40 percent over the last decade.

Nantucket real estate has always been pricey - the average home goes for $2.6 million - which is perhaps why the small, exclusive island has long attracted celebrities and the elite. 

Kourtney Kardashian, Ben Stiller, James Franco, Drew Barrymore and even President Joe Biden are among the rich and famous who've been spotted on Nantucket throughout the years.

One Nantucket rental on Airbnb is a nine bedroom, seven-and-half bathroom estate that has a pool, tennis court, guest cottage and its own private beach. All those amenities don't come cheap - with renters forking out $10,000 a night. 

For those with shallower pockets, Airbnb rentals in Nantucket can go anywhere from a $159 a night single bedroom to a one bedroom, one bathroom cottage for $311 a night.