Short-term rental companies, like Airbnb and VRBO, have become mainstream for travellers.
And as the industry expands, some Ohio cities are weighing new regulations. The municipalities cite concerns over noisy parties, neighborhood disruptions and, in some cases, violent incidents. Shootings at rental properties have increased scrutiny on the industry in cities like Toledo and Liberty Township in southwest Ohio.
Hocking Hills is debating adding noise regulations, while Bath Township in northeast Ohio has effectively banned short-term rentals through zoning regulations.
Bowling Green in western Ohio is one of the latest communities to enact restrictions.
A recently adopted ordinance requires short-term rental owners to register with the city, to pay the city’s hotel lodging tax and to ensure a local representative is within 35 miles to respond to emergencies.
City councilwoman Kathleen Dennis said the changes will improve public safety.
“It's a good thing for our neighborhoods to know where they are, that they’re operating as a business and contributing back to the community at some level,” Dennis said.
But, Dave Stokley with the Northern Ohio Short Term Rental Association said the large majority of short term rentals, or STRs, are operating without issue.
“When something goes wrong, it makes a great news headline,” he said. “But no one's talking about the 78 people that stayed at my properties last night that didn't cause any problems.”
Bowling Green’s ordinance
The number of short-term rentals in Bowling Green has shot up in recent years. Dennis said they went from a couple to around 50 in the small western Ohio city.
She said the college town already struggles to maintain enough moderately-priced housing. She worries that short-term rentals are exacerbating the issue.
“We're kind of validating the fact that this house is being taken off the market. … It's being turned into a business. By kind of recognizing that and asking them to be good neighbors in our neighborhood, I feel that's the least we can do for our community,” Dennis said.
She said the city’s new legislation makes it easier to track STRs. She said the registry in particular will help residents and public safety officials better understand what’s going on in their community.
“We are speaking out and saying to our neighbors and our neighborhoods, we do care about you and your health and well-being, your comfort and safety in your community, and if you don't want to have a lot of noisy parties next to you, we’ve got your back,” she said.
Short-term rental owners’ push back
Stokley, who owns a short-term rental company, said Bowling Green’s ordinance is mostly reasonable.
But, he said, density caps – like Cleveland is considering – or moratoriums on rentals go too far and hurt Ohioans’ livelihoods.
“It's limiting a legitimate business that frankly contributes in a lot of positive ways to the local economy and local communities,” he said.
In Bowling Green’s case, Stokley said adding a local representative within 35 miles of the rental won’t change how emergencies are handled.
“The idea sounds reasonable but in practice it doesn't add real accountability. Whatever authority you grant that [representative], any serious situation ends the same way: a call to the owner and a call to the police,” he said.
In a statement to the Ohio Newsroom, a spokesperson for Airbnb, one of the most popular short-term rental sites, said they have active measures in place to prevent disruptive parties.
“The safety of our community and local neighborhoods is a priority. We invest in these efforts—from banning disruptive parties to running standard criminal background checks on U.S. hosts and guests unlike other accommodation sites—while working with local leaders to help champion balanced and fair rules that uphold everyday Ohioans’ right to share their homes and earn extra income,” the spokesperson wrote.
Statewide debate
Regulation of short-term rentals is being talked about at the Ohio Statehouse, too.
One Republican legislator has proposed legislation that would prohibit communities from banning short-term rentals. On the flipside, other Republican representatives are proposing increased taxes on the properties.
Stokely with the Northern Ohio Short Term Rental Association said he wants to see the state intervene to prevent cities from treating short-term rentals any differently from long-term rentals.
“The length of the stay is not an appropriate reason to discriminate against rental properties,” he said.
Dennis, on the other hand, said it should be up to local communities on what’s best for their neighborhoods.
“I feel like it should be left to the communities to do what they want to do with the STRs in their communities,” she said. “Because if the state comes along and says you can or cannot regulate these things, that could have a huge impact on how a community functions.”
