LaGrange residents speak out against short-term rental ordinance

Published 9:45 am Thursday, October 10, 2024

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During the LaGrange mayor and council meeting on Tuesday, several residents spoke out against a potential new ordinance to regulate short-term rentals (STR) within the city.

Most residents spoke against short-term rentals themselves, rather than the idea of regulating them, saying they do not want them in their neighborhoods as they are a nuisance to the safety and tranquility of their homes. 

Elliot Lamb complained of the short-term rental being operated near his home and the partying that comes with it.

“I personally had to call the LaGrange city police and ask on multiple occasions to get them to go there and ask them to please be quiet because I have kids trying to go to sleep for school,” Lamb said.

Lamb also asked what kind of background checks are being done for the people short-term renters. 

“As far as I know, none, which scares the absolute hell out of me. This is a great small town. I love it. I grew up here,” Lamb said, “I’m very passionate about this because, again, I don’t want my kids seeing this. It’s very disturbing that we don’t know what we’re coming home to each day.”

Bob Johnson said that after reading the proposed ordinance, he began to research and read of numerous communities that are now amending their short-term rental ordinances.

“The clear direction today is to tighten up and to eliminate short-term rentals, particularly in the residential zones,” Johnson said. “We should be resting on our current zoning ordinances rather than changing them, and we should pay attention to what’s happening elsewhere.”

“Once the short-term rentals are legalized and entrenched, it’s very difficult to go back,” Johnson said.

Johnson suggested giving the STRs that are currently operating within the city a provincial license so that some rules can be enacted rather than permanently legalizing them.

City staff has said that without the new ordinance, they are already legal. The city currently doesn’t have any STR regulations and does not separate a single-day rental from a month or year lease.

Any new regulations only restrict STRs as they are currently unregulated.

Others argued that people are not going to abide by the rules within the new ordinance, and it is up to neighbors to enforce.

“You’re going to have people that are not going to abide by the 24/7 hour notice that is listed in your new ordinance. It’s impractical. It also states that the owner is not supposed to be a peace officer, nor are the neighbors supposed to be a peace officer. But you’re putting me in that position,” Daniel Guy said.

One of the regulations in the new ordinance would require STRs to have someone responsible for responding to issues at the rentals within an hour, 24 hours a day. 

A first reading was held for the potential new ordinance, but no vote was taken. The ordinance is expected to be taken up for a second reading and vote at the Oct. 29 council meeting.