Residents press council over short-term rental enforcement on East Mountain

Residents asked the Scranton City Council to intervene after a property on East Mountain that zoning previously denied as an Airbnb continued to operate. The council said the matter has been routed through the city’s legal process and requires proper service for a hearing before a district justice.

Celeste Gilmartin told the council that a zoning board decision in April had closed an Airbnb operating in a zoning district that does not permit businesses. "He’s still running the business," Gilmartin said, and she called for action. Attorney Gilbride told the council that the city’s office cited the property owner and forwarded the case to the district justice’s office, but service on the owner has not yet been made. "They have not been served," Gilbride said; he added the city expected to attempt service again and then the matter would proceed to a magistrate hearing.

Council members and staff agreed to alert code enforcement to monitor the property and to check a second short-term rental across the street. Council said additional follow-up should include verifying whether owners meet the rule that an owner must occupy a property for six months of the year to qualify for the city’s short-term rental allowance, confirming whether special-exception procedures were followed, and ensuring citations are reissued if the business continues prior to magistrate action. The administration said it would attempt service and report back.

The council did not order enforcement action beyond what the code and magistrate process allow; the city said the next steps depend on successful service and magistrate proceedings.