I am in support of City Council prioritizing law creation and revision around short-term rental properties (Airbnb). My husband and I live at 14225 Delaware Ave. Two of our neighbors spoke at the last City Council meeting about 14227 Delaware Ave., which should have been deemed a nuisance property years ago (citing the 60+ LPD phone calls mentioned in at the last meeting). We know our day is going to be negatively impacted if we see a car in the driveway next door. That is no way to live in "A City of Homes" and a "Great Place to Call Home." The State of Ohio is forcing local municipalities to regulate, and Lakewood is behind many of our neighbors throughout the state. This is an issue that is not going away - it is changing the landscape of our city, driving up home prices with out-of-state owners who live thousands of miles away, and forcing out many NE Ohioans who want to stay in Lakewood and contribute to what was a great community. I am asking this Council to enact regulations that must include but are not limited to the following: short-term rental property must be operator's primary residence (51%+ of the year); host presence required during stays; 24-hour emergency local contact must be publicly posted; annual cap on rental days; annual registration permits inclusive of annual interior and exterior inspections. These are all precedents that have been enacted throughout communities in NE Ohio. Not only does City Council need to create these restrictions - we also need to ensure that they are enforced. We and our neighbors have tried to solve this issue with Airbnb, the out-of-state property owner, the local property manager, and Lakewood PD and have gotten nowhere. We need the support of this Council, including a timeline of when these regulations will be drafted and approved (which should be as soon as possible).
I am in support of City Council prioritizing law creation and revision around short-term rental properties (Airbnb). My husband and I live at 14225 Delaware Ave. Two of our neighbors spoke at the last City Council meeting about 14227 Delaware Ave., which should have been deemed a nuisance property years ago (citing the 60+ LPD phone calls mentioned in at the last meeting). We know our day is going to be negatively impacted if we see a car in the driveway next door. That is no way to live in "A City of Homes" and a "Great Place to Call Home." The State of Ohio is forcing local municipalities to regulate, and Lakewood is behind many of our neighbors throughout the state. This is an issue that is not going away - it is changing the landscape of our city, driving up home prices with out-of-state owners who live thousands of miles away, and forcing out many NE Ohioans who want to stay in Lakewood and contribute to what was a great community. I am asking this Council to enact regulations that must include but are not limited to the following: short-term rental property must be operator's primary residence (51%+ of the year); host presence required during stays; 24-hour emergency local contact must be publicly posted; annual cap on rental days; annual registration permits inclusive of annual interior and exterior inspections. These are all precedents that have been enacted throughout communities in NE Ohio. Not only does City Council need to create these restrictions - we also need to ensure that they are enforced. We and our neighbors have tried to solve this issue with Airbnb, the out-of-state property owner, the local property manager, and Lakewood PD and have gotten nowhere. We need the support of this Council, including a timeline of when these regulations will be drafted and approved (which should be as soon as possible).