ST. LOUIS – Some residents in downtown St. Louis say some short-term rentals have turned into meeting spots for large groups to hold late-night parties.
“It’s frightening,” said Nicole Younge, a downtown resident for the past 13 years.
She’s said some of those gatherings have escalated into early-morning crimes.
“The next thing you know, you hear glass breaking,” Younge said.
“There’s late-night parties,” said Aneka Keck, a downtown resident. “It’s disturbing the whole neighborhood.”
A spokesperson for St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’s Office said she is supportive of efforts to regulate short-term rentals. The city’s Planning Commission met Wednesday and approved definitions for short-term rentals. That step helps pave the way for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen to take up the issue.
Some regulations the board will now consider include a permit requiring annual renewal and a designated contact person for each short-term rental.
“I would like there to be more regulations,” said Lyla Turner, a downtown resident.
She believes downtown would be safer if there was an effective way to regulate short-term rentals without infringing on the rights of renters.
Downtown resident Eric Keck believes a lack of contact information for short-term rentals in downtown is a big problem. He said if someone witnesses a problem, they should be able to reach the property owner or responsible party.
“That information would be helpful,” Keck said.
