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Residents cite violent party tied to a rental; council renews push for short‑term rental ordinance
Summary
Neighbors described a late‑night party at a Plainfield Street home listed as an Airbnb that required mutual‑aid police response. Council members said they support banning short‑term rentals in residential areas and referred legal language and pending ordinances back for legal review and study before formal action.
Neighbors said a house rented as a short‑term rental on Plainfield Street hosted an out‑of‑control party that drew police mutual aid and a canine unit, and renewed calls on April 8 for Dearborn Heights to stop short‑term rentals in residential neighborhoods.
Luigi Peruzzi, who lives on Plainfield Street, told the council that five rentals at a property had led to repeated police incidents and that one party required “5 cops, canine unit, and an assist from Garden City to disperse the crowd.” He asked the council to require multi‑day minimum stays so houses are not used for single‑evening parties.
Other residents, including Angela Venegas and Barb Running, said the problem has persisted and that the city must move faster. “This can't continue to go on in our city,” Venegas said during public comment.
Council members and legal staff discussed next steps. Special legal counsel Gary Miyake and Mayor’s office staff emphasized that the city does not currently have a short‑term rental ordinance expressly permitting the use. Miyake told the council his review showed that short‑term rentals are not authorized under current local rules and that enforcement actions could proceed under existing code for nuisance and other violations.
Several council members pressed for immediate action. Councilman Tom Wenzel urged a moratorium; others cautioned that past moratoriums had led to legal challenges and potentially costly litigation. “If we don't have an ordinance, it's not allowed in the city immediately right now,” Councilman Hassan Ahmad said in the meeting; the council later clarified it wanted to pursue a legally defensible ordinance.
Outcome and next steps: The council did not adopt an immediate ban at the April 8 meeting. Members instructed administration and special legal counsel to finalize ordinance language and return to a study session with recommendations that balance enforceability and legal risk. Police and ordinance staff were told to pursue enforcement of existing nuisance statutes where applicable in the interim.
Ending: Council members said they would ask staff for draft ordinance language and an enforcement plan, and to coordinate police and code staff on immediate enforcement of nuisance, zoning and occupancy rules while the ordinance work continues.
