City-County Council to consider short-term rental ordinance

INDIANAPOLIS — A day after a man was shot and critically wounded outside a party at a short-term rental home in Fountain Square, the City-County Council is introducing an ordinance Monday night to crack down on the owners of properties where they don’t live but rent out for a quick one-night payoff.

”No one wants to seem to do anything about this 24-hour nightclub next door,” said Theo Austin, a neighbor in the 1500 block of Lexington Avenue who woke up to the sounds of gunfire Sunday morning . ”On the weekends from what I’ve seen it’s overwhelmingly young people having parties.”

Residents told FOX59/CBS4 that the two-story modern block-style house is frequently rented out to weekend parties that fill the streets with cars, the front lawns with debris and the night air with gunshots.

”We’ve had people urinating in our backyard and on our driveway. We’ve had someone passed out throwing up in the driveway here,” said Austin, standing in front of a bullet hole in the wall of another neighbor’s garage. ”For whatever reason they can’t contain these parties to the house. The backyard is full. The front yard is full and it spills over into the neighbors’ yards.”

The Council will introduce and refer to Committee Proposal 205 Indianapolis Short-Term Rental Permit Program Ordinance.

The ordinance, if adopted, would require landlords of such short-term rentals to receive an annual permit, open their properties to fire safety and life safety inspections, submit marketing and advertising plans and abide by occupancy rates.

The intent is to, “Set an appropriate balance between the interests of the City’s residents, business owners, visitors to the community, and property owners wishing to engage in short-term rental of dwellings (to) allow homeowners to benefit from added income.”

Mobile homes and non-permanent structures would not be permitted for short-term rentals.

Sunday’s shooting was just the most recent incident of crime associated with short-term rentals in Indianapolis and the metro area.

Last month, a teenager was shot to death outside a party to which he was not invited in the 2600 block of Carrollton Avenue.

Two other people were wounded.

In March, a man was murdered outside of a Fishers home that neighbors had complained about as a short-term rental.

That case remains unsolved.

Carmel Police are investigating a medical emergency that afflicted several people at a short-term rental over the weekend.

Theo Austin is from Anaheim, California, but spends the summers with his children back home in Indianapolis, only to have violence and loud parties disrupt his refuge.

”I will say from what we have there, this is much worse,” said Austin. “We fortunately don’t allow neighborhoods to be taken over by short-term rentals. I wish that was the same here.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 59.