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Resident warns ADU rules and short-term rentals are shrinking Bowling Green's long-term housing supply
Summary
A resident told a city committee that short-term rentals have surged since 2023 and are reducing long-term housing options; he urged enforcement of owner-occupancy rules while council members said they would examine the issue as part of broader housing discussions.
During the public hearing on Ordinance 9365, Rev Drain, who gave his address for the record, said short-term rentals and rental-property prevalence in Bowling Green have increased since 2023 and are disadvantaging residents seeking long-term housing or homeownership.
"I'm concerned with the prevalence ... of rental properties in Bowling Green and the increase ... since the zoning code read in 2023 in short-term rentals," Rev Drain said. He estimated the number of short-term rentals had risen "nearly twofold," further characterizing the growth as "somewhere between by a third and a half." He argued that ADUs used as short-term rentals remove housing that otherwise might be available to residents who want to live and work in the city long-term and keep children in local schools.
Committee members acknowledged the concern but emphasized this hearing focused on a narrow code fix; they urged that broader housing-policy choices and enforcement resources be examined in a more expansive public process. The committee did not verify the numerical estimate provided by the commenter during the hearing.
