Source: (Photo: Chris Davis/WIBC)
INDIANAPOLIS — In recent years, an increasing number of Indianapolis residents have had to call the police to complain about disruptive behavior or illegal activities by people who rent short-term homes.
The people who rent these homes do so through apps like Airbnb or Vrbo.
Fed up of loud parties and disruptive behavior, many Indianapolis residents have banded together to push through a proposed ordinance that would subject short-term rental property owners to new zoning regulations.
“The vast majority of short-term rental operators are good, well-meaning Indiana residents trying to rent their property and make Indianapolis a great home for our visitors,” said Dakota Pawlicki of the Coalition To Address Short-Term Rentals. “However, there are a significant number of bad actors who do not properly manage their properties.”
As of July, he had collected 145 complaints about 71 properties, he said, with 100 of those reports related to 28 of those properties.
Pawlicki tells WISH-TV that most of these offenders are people who own the properties in question but don’t even live in the state of Indiana. There are several rental property owners in Indianapolis who live out of state and are difficult to reach should police be called.
“Many of these short-term rentals are owned by out-of-state owners, and if there is a problem, we can’t reach them,” said Indy City Councilwoman Kristen Jones (D). “So it may take law enforcement 3 to 5 hours to reach them and find a solution.”
The ordinance she supports would subject all Airbnb or Vrbo owners to a new set of zoning regulations similar to those of a hotel. These include registering your rental property with the city and obtaining a permit. The permit, which requires a one-time fee of $150, is voluntary until January 1, 2025, when it will become mandatory.
The Council will vote on the measure tonight. Airbnb fully supports the measure and said in a statement:
“Home sharing has been an integral part of the Indianapolis cityscape for years. It allows the city to welcome visitors whose spending supports local businesses and creates economic opportunities for residents. We support the proposed ordinance that protects responsible home sharing and allows Indianapolis to capitalize on the growing opportunities surrounding tourism.”
