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Neighbor urges council to restrict short‑term rentals after repeated disturbances
Summary
A Baberton resident, Ronald Bowers, told council he has observed what he described as repeated parties and safety concerns at a nearby short‑term rental, urged limiting short‑term rentals in residential areas, and said police had limited ability to intervene. He asked the council to act to restore neighborhood safety.
Ronald Bowers, a resident of 62 West 7th Street, urged the Baberton City Council to take action on short‑term rentals during the public‑comment portion of the committee meeting on July 20, 2026.
Bowers described repeated disturbances tied to a single short‑term rental across the street from his home. He said the house had been rented "three times a week" and that on one occasion there were "over 35 people, 10 cars" on the street. "We have called the police 60 or 70 times on record," he said, and he told the council that officers told him they "can do nothing about it" because the event did not constitute a specific criminal incident in their view.
Bowers said the rental had been converted from a three‑bedroom to a five‑bedroom home and that guests often used air mattresses inside, leaving trash on the porch and parking across neighbors' driveways. He argued the city ordinance and platforms' guidelines were insufficient and said, "We are being overthrown in our own neighborhood," urging the council to consider restricting short‑term rentals in residential areas or converting such properties to regular long‑term rentals to reduce the frequency of disturbances.
Councilors acknowledged the complaint during committee reports; no formal ordinance was introduced during this meeting, but earlier committee discussion indicated staff and councilors are drafting potential Airbnb amendments for later consideration.
