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Neighbors ask for stronger enforcement, transparency on short-term rentals
Summary
Neighborhood speakers urged publication of permit lists, more code-enforcement resources and robust regulations to preserve neighborhood character near Notre Dame and other areas affected by short-term rentals.
Several residents told the committee they support permitting but said enforcement capacity and transparency will determine whether regulation protects neighborhoods. Mary Ellen O'Connell (speaker 9), a member of her neighborhood association board and a law professor at Notre Dame, said the North Shore Triangle and areas near campus are being transformed by large rentals and urged publication of permit lists so neighbors can check compliance: "I think it is a very low bar to ask people to have at least a permit," she said, and added that enforcement resources are necessary for the rules to be effective.
Bruce Gordon (speaker 1), a local real estate agent, cautioned against broad restrictions and urged focused enforcement on repeat offenders, noting that many STR operators invest in and maintain properties: "There's another side to this... it looks really nice, nicer than the houses around it," he said. Both speakers asked the city to make permit lists available and to coordinate with neighborhood associations and HOAs to improve compliance and reduce calls for police intervention.
