LAKEWOOD, OH — At-Large Council In a recent letter to City Council, Tom Bullock and Ward 2 Councilman Bryan Evans asked for an ordinance pertaining to the city’s short-term rental business.
Bullock stated, “I want affordable homes in Lakewood to be available to people who want to move here or stay in Lakewood.”
An increasing number of out-of-state or foreign investors are purchasing houses and using Airbnb status as one of their operating methods. In Lakewood, we are starting to notice some indications of that.
According to the correspondence, up to 68 Lakewood short-term rental houses have been found.
In order to provide the city responsibility, the proposed rule would compel short-term rentals to obtain an annual license.
Keeping as many houses as possible as full-time dwellings is another factor, the councilman mentioned.
In Lakewood, our first priority is for homes to be long-term dwellings for families, particularly those with school-age children, so that the schools have enough students enrolled to maintain primary schools open, he said.
Running an Airbnb has an impact on your neighbors as well. Some of these situations have been party homes with late-night disruptions, but others have been more serious than parties. In other situations, individuals are using a guest bedroom and everything is going smoothly. There are no issues, and it’s quiet. Thus, there is a compromise.
The councilman also inquired as to whether the homeowner is paying bed tax and what effect a resident operating a full-time short-term rental business had on local services.
Although Lakewood approved laws pertaining to bed and breakfasts in 2006, Airbnbs are not covered by those laws.
Bullock anticipates more discussion of the short-term rental policy later this summer and into the fall, given that City Council is going to be on vacation in August.
According to him, this is meant to serve as a draft for all parties—pro or con—to meet, talk about, and provide feedback on. The viewpoint of the property owner must be honored. Another viewpoint that must be taken into consideration is the neighbor effect perspective.
We could think about working through a lot of the thoughtful components of a public policy. We have put the toolkit together, but that does not imply that we have a definitive answer that makes sense for the Lakewood community.
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