STRs Ruin Neighborhoods

Lancaster admits they are unable to monitor or enforce this travesty to neighborhoods

Lancaster city settles in controversial short-term rental cases [Lancaster Watchdog]

Lancaster city settles in controversial short-term rental cases [Lancaster Watchdog] Lancaster city has reached settlement agreements to resolve ongoing concerns tied to a few controversial properties that residents say were illegal short-term rentals.

Lancaster city settles in controversial short-term rental cases [Lancaster Watchdog]

Lancaster city settles in controversial short-term rental cases [Lancaster Watchdog] Lancaster city has reached settlement agreements to resolve ongoing concerns tied to a few controversial properties that residents say were illegal short-term rentals.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/28/airbnb-makes-its-party-ban-permanent.html

Airbnb makes its party ban permanent Airbnb said that since it implemented its policy in August 2020, it has seen a 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports.

Check out this link:

Lancaster city rental owner challenges authority of Building Code Board of Appeals A short-term rental owner with a history of complaints lodged against him by city residents is claiming Lancaster city’s Building Code Board of Appeals has no authority to rule on

'Bad actors' challenge Lancaster city short-term rental rules [Lancaster Watchdog]
JADE CAMPOS | Staff Writer
Published Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:00 AM EDT

Christine McLain describes her North Shippen Street neighborhood as “close knit.” It’s been that way, she said, since she moved into her home 24 years ago.

People greet each other while they walk their dogs and strike up friendly conversation about things happening in the city. Neighbors invite everyone on the block to their homes for regular get-togethers.

“Everybody knows each other on the block,” she said. “We’ve always been that kind of neighborhood.”

That jovial mood shifted last year when someone new came to town.

McLain said most people were excited for a new face but were unsure what to expect when they learned their new neighbor planned to turn two properties into short-term rentals.

Meredith Lord, who lives next door to one of the short-term rentals, said workers started coming and going at weird hours of the day to do construction on the home. It was clear, she said, the new owner was turning the single-family homes into multiple units to list out to tourists.

Vincent Palazzotto, who owns and oversees the properties, lives in Denver, Colorado. He owns at least five other properties throughout the city, according to county property records, under his own name or that of his company, Melody Investments Ltd.

Most of his properties are listed on short-term rental sites like AirBnB as multiple units. Palazzotto’s rental company, Lancaster Historic Homes, has 19 listings on AirBnB that are currently available to rent. According to AirDNA, a short-term rental data analytics site, Palazzotto has the most AirBnB listings in Lancaster County.

Short-term rentals are illegal on North Shippen Street, and last year neighbors told city planning and zoning officials what was happening on their block. They also pointed out that the work to subdivide the homes into multiple units was done without permits.

To the residents, Palazzotto’s rentals detract from the tight-knit feel of the block and threaten their safety as well. Lord said she worries the unsanctioned construction done on the buildings could lead to a fire.

“If something like (a fire) were to happen,” Lord said, “the city could not say they didn’t know what was going on.”

Residents raised their concerns at a crucial time, as city officials wade through new short-term rental ordinances amid a housing crisis that’s challenging officials to find new ways to grow the housing stock.

Illegal rentals not common

The city put its foot down last spring with a ban on short-term rentals in an effort to preserve the city’s already-dwindling housing stock. The ordinance limits short-term rentals to commercial and mixed-use districts, which are mostly downtown and around Franklin & Marshall College.

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Before the ordinance passed, 41 short-term rental units operated legally in residential districts. The city has since grandfathered 13 more into the city’s database of registered short-term rentals, for a total of 54. Palazzotto’s units, which primarily fall in residential districts, are not among those.

While there are occasional problems with property owners who do not abide by city rules, chief planner Douglas Smith said the issue isn’t pervasive. Most property owners, he said, fall in line when they learn they are not in compliance or bow out of the short-term rental industry altogether.

To legally operate a short-term rental in Lancaster, Smith said property owners must be in the correct zoning district, have an active rental license and obtain a zoning compliance letter from the city. Registered short-term rentals also can’t be rented out for more than 30 days at a time.

Right now, there are 100 short-term rentals registered with the city and 90 unregistered rentals that the city is aware of.

“This pool of units fluctuates over time. People decide to try short-term rentals, they opt out, they decide it’s not for them. So that number is always changing,” Smith said, and not all of the unregistered operators have been flouting the law. “There are some people that we just need to educate and get in contact with, and then there may be others we can’t identify.”

Smith couldn’t give an exact number, but said there are “not a tremendous” amount of short-term rental owners who are “bad actors” that refuse to follow city ordinances after receiving regular education about the regulations.

Chris Delfs, city community planning and economic development director, said the city is pursuing enforcement against those who are not in compliance, though officials declined to comment on Palazzotto or any of his properties.

In general, Delfs said, the city does not comment on specific properties.

A reliable email and phone number for Palazzotto were not immediately available. Requests for comment sent to emails and phone numbers associated with Palazzatto were not returned.

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Tracking down ‘bad actors’

Kate Rowen, another Shippen Street resident, said she understands how long it can take to bring a property owner into compliance and has tried to have patience. But after a year of contact with the city, she said she’s frustrated that Palazzotto is still able to operate.

“I understand it’s complicated. I think I have a little bit more patience than other people,” Rowen said. “Just say, ‘We are still working on this.’ ... It’s just frustrating.”

The city pays about $10,000 a year for a system called Deckard to scrape short-term rental sites like AirBnB and VRBO for listings in the city. Smith said the city sends letters to every property owner who is found to have listings that are noncompliant with city ordinances.

Most people, Smith said, respond after the first letter arrives. Usually, they don’t realize they are violating city rules and either comply or cease operation completely.

Property owners have the option to convert their short-term rentals to homestays, which means they live in the unit and rent out a bedroom. Most don’t, though. Of the 100 registered short-term units in the city, just five are homestays.

Some people could also rent out their properties on AirBnB or VRBO for more than 30 days, which would cease to be a short-term rental, Smith said.

“There is a need for this interim housing, where it’s not necessarily short term, but (someone) may need housing for a few months,” he said.

Anyone who does not respond to the city’s letters eventually gets hit with a violation that can end up in the magisterial district court system. Delfs did not estimate how many end up in court, but said the number is small.

The city began to pursue legal action against Palazzotto last November after a handful of his properties received stop-work orders that were torn down multiple times. The citations eventually were withdrawn, and the city has not filed any new citations against Palazzotto.

The city declined to comment on the current status of legal action against Palazzotto.

Not a singular issue

Given Palazzotto’s continued noncompliance, Shippen Street residents are growing anxious.

“It is a neighborhood, and having AirBnBs does change the whole atmosphere,” Rowen said.

Smith said city officials are aware unpermitted construction happens often, not just with short-term rental properties. To address the problem, the city put money toward a safety compliance officer this year to minimize illegal work.

The issue of navigating short-term rentals is not singular to Lancaster, either. Cities across the country, including New York and Atlanta, have begun cracking down on illegal short-term rentals despite pushback from property owners.

Within the county, municipal leaders are also figuring out what the right steps are to address short-term rentals as more and more pop up. As with the city, Mount Joy Township and Elizabethtown Borough officials said most property owners comply with their ordinances. The problem is finding where all of the rentals are.

Why create regulations?

A handful of residents pushed back when the city approved its short-term rental limits last May. Short-term rentals, they said, bring in tourism and boost the economy, so what’s the big deal?

It’s true, there are economic benefits that come with short-term rentals, and Delfs said they are an important part of the tourism industry. Last year, short-term rentals generated over $11 million in hotel tax revenue for the county, though the city doesn’t receive any money directly.

But the Shippen Street residents aren’t concerned about tourism. They’re worried about their neighborhood, and the housing crunch in the city and potential short-term rental landlords buying up properties instead of families.

Smith acknowledged the urgent need for housing, calling it a major priority for the city. He said he doesn’t want to see housing get taken away from people who want to live in the city.

While anyone can challenge the city to be granted an exception to operate a short-term rental outside of the legal zoning districts, most challenges are denied. Smith said the city wants to keep short-term rentals as locked down as possible.

'Bad actors' challenge Lancaster city short-term rental rules [Lancaster Watchdog]

'Bad actors' challenge Lancaster city short-term rental rules [Lancaster Watchdog] Christine McLain describes her North Shippen Street neighborhood as “close knit.” It’s been that way, she said, since she moved into her home 24 years ago.

https://apple.news/ACphlkOLfQLW_KvNqCA1mVw

Most New York Airbnb Applications Don’t Meet City Requirements — Bloomberg New York City has had to return a “vast majority” of applications from Airbnb Inc. and other short-term rental hosts seeking to register their listings because they were illegal, prompting many hosts to list their property for longer-term stays.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/airbnb-terrible

Unpopular Opinion: Airbnb Has Become Terrible - NerdWallet Like so many internet things, Airbnb started out with such great promise. But where does it stand now? Travel Nerd Sam Kemmis offers his take on the matter.

More states are following suit. Why is Lancaster PA so far behind the times?

New York City Airbnb crackdown starts this week: What hosts need to know about the new rules Local Law 18, passed in New York City in 2022, takes effect on September 5. It will radically alter the home-sharing landscape in America's largest city.

How Lancaster city government could change under home rule The home rule discussion in Lancaster city has mostly focused on taxes as Mayor Danene Sorace stresses the importance of taxation flexibility in solving the city’s financial problems, but city

Council mulls short-term rentals again CITY GOVERNMENTProposal would allow some units above commercial space

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/tech/airbnb-anti-party-technology/index.html

Airbnb rolls out 'anti-party technology' to help enforce its global ban | CNN Business Weeks after Airbnb said it would permanently ban parties at properties rented through its platform, the company is deploying so-called "anti-party technology" in the United States and Canada to help enforce the measure.

https://www.newsy.com/stories/airbnb-hurts-already-high-cost-shrinking-housing-market/ How AirBnb Is Hurting An Already High-Cost, Shrinking Housing Market

How AirBnb Is Hurting An Already High-Cost, Shrinking Housing Market AirBnB is shrinking the already short housing supply, costing renters millions of dollars. But, other factors make it a tricky situation to lay blame.

The owner of the STR properties on North Shippen Street continues installing appliances and working on the properties -- so he has correctly figured out that the City isn't going to do one damn thing to prevent him breaking zoning and safety laws and ruining the neighborhood. Everything that the neighbors witness happening are things you would only do if a house were broken up into multiple units -- none of it would have to be done to a single family home, a home that when it was purchased, had a state-of-the-art kitchen and 3 new bathrooms -- so plumbing and electrical work would not be needed unless you were chopping the house to bits, turning it into a hotel.

I do have to ask the city administration, what’s the point of spending hours amending an ordinance to not enforce it afterwards? We knew this would happen. The city says they won’t allow everyone to be grandfathered in and here we are, rubber stamping them all through. More went through today.

This week Lancaster city resident Colleen Sohl went before the city Zoning Hearing Board to seek a “grandfather” variance, allowing 325 N. Pine St. to operate as an Short Term Rental, despite the previous ordinance restricting them to commercial and mixed-use districts.

Read more: https://oneunitedlancaster.com/government/pine-street-property-owner-wins-one-off-exemption-from-lancasters-ban-on-short-term-airbnb-rentals-in-residential-areas/

Apparently when Airbnb guests don't get their trash out in time for collection on the street, they use the neighbor's trash cans and then sneak off and pretend to go into another house so you don't know which building they came out of.

Can someone answer as to why someone is allowed renting out their home when it had a stop work order notice on the door a few weeks back? 34 North shippen st. The residents staying in that property are not safe if proper inspections were not completed. The city should be concerned but 🦗🦗🦗. Please see pictures in the comments.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/28/tech/airbnb-party-ban-permanent/index.html

Airbnb makes its ban on parties permanent Airbnb said Tuesday it will make permanent a ban on parties originally implemented in the early months of the pandemic, citing its effectiveness at curbing unauthorized gatherings.

Someone wasn’t taught “no!” growing up. Instead, they look you in the eyes and burn themselves.

Gues some people think rules don’t apply to them. 29 N Shippen St.

A good read on what air bnb is doing if not regulated properly by the city….

https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2019-05-02/airbnbs-controversial-impact-on-cities

Is Airbnb Helping – or Worsening – Inequality in Cities? The short-term rental company professes noble aims, but experts argue it displaces tenants and puts pressure on tight housing markets.

If I am hearing this right, the investor at 34 North Shippen and 29 North Shippen are out of compliance should be made to stop all work at those single family homes? Why has the city done nothing about this?

https://youtu.be/9STJOApCZ6s

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