Community Chat

[Trailrun23]

Do you have any homes in your neighborhood that are being used for short-term rentals. or STR? Several of our neighborhoods a mile from mine are starting to have problems with them. I am appalled at the things I see  on the news. These are affluent neighborhoods, and now they are dealing with these homes being rented out for weekends...for loud music, drugs flowing, and alcohol use among minors. Our city council is spineless and won't ban them,  but is talking about adding rules for them to follow. Ha! I am so worried a few house for sale in our own block could be bought by out-of -state landlords, listed on Vrbo or Airbnb and used for this purpose. 

[mimomof4]

I know there is one in my subdivision but we haven't had any issues.  My township government and other localities near me are starting to work on laws regarding these properties.

Rental properties whether long term or short term have good and bad renters.  Even as a property own I can't choose who purchases the house next to mine.  I have to cross my fingers that we get good neighbors.

[Kachina624]

There are virtually no rentals of any type available in my community.  Housing shortage.

[kaydee50]

Our condo allows rentals for a minimum of 6 months.  Another condo we lived in allows 30 day minimum rentals, which I did not like.  I would not live in a community that allows short term rentals.

[Trailrun23]

We have a couple who rent the house across the street from us and they are great. They take care of the yard, come and go at reasonable hours, and seem very friendly. No issues. The STRs on Vrbo and Airbnb are the problem. We want STRs banned. I think you should just go to a hotel if you need to rent short-term. If our city council does not ban them, we will be moving out of the city and get away from this. There are real dangers of human trafficking that have already been found. DD moved last year when someone from Georgia bought fa big, beautiful home around the corner from her and said he was setting up a halfway house for abused women. Problem? The abusers were driving around looking for their victims. No way that should have been allowed in a family neighborhood, especially right across the street from an elementary school.

[SilleeMee]

Where I live I'm more concerned about things like burglary, vandalism, drive-by shootings and abandoned cars with people living inside them. That's what happens to older neighborhoods in a boomtown. 

[cjm61]

Yes, we have a home that is in a community that allows STR's. We knew this before purchasing. In fact, the previous owners of our home used it as a STR. Our HOA is very strict though. No parking on the street, no noise after 9:00, in fact, no porch lights can be on after a certain time. These rules are strictly enforced. The homeowner is fined heavily so they rarely have issues as the fines are passed down to the renter.

Our home is located in a popular vacation destination. We have several homes in our area that are STR's. Honestly, there's been very little trouble. Once a home was rented for the weekend by the locals and they just party'd. Needless to say, new requirements were put into place and that stopped it.

The key is to have an organization, like the HOA, that will enforce the rules.

[Trailrun23]

The STR homes I am concerned about have had shootings, drug trafficking, and other crimes. Loud music and slamming of car doors all night was how it started...but it has escalated to serious crime. You are fortunate to have crimes the police will respond to. STR complaints get zero attention until the next day, when the partiers are long gone. It would be common for STRa in vacation areas...we have stayed in several. The ones that are causing problems are those in family neighborhoods in suburban areas. Causing many to move away. 

[SilleeMee]

There are far too many people here. Not enough police to do the jobs that need done. Unfortunately rapid growth of my city is suffering from growing pains on all levels of development. Call the police, take a number and wait.

[Puppy Lips]

I don't have a comment on STR.  I don't think there are any near me.  But our small quaint town is building, building, building.  Not just houses, but big apartment complexes.  A new highway came through and now all the land around us is more attractive.  We already are having traffic problems.  Can't imagine how bad it will be in a few years. Before long, I won't want to live here anymore.  The residents all show up to the meetings and complain.  But somehow all these projects get approved anyway.  There may be only so much that city planners can do, even if they wanted to stop the growth.