I live in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Farmers Branch, Texas. Homes in my neighborhood are 50-60 years old, some remodeled, many not, averaging 2,000 sq ft. It’s a quiet neighborhood with many elderly, some young families and mid-life couples/families.
In November 2018, a homeowner two doors down listed his home on Airbnb as “The Love Shack.” The home is very nice inside and has a great outdoor entertaining area with a pool. I would estimate he gets about 80% occupancy. Over the past six months, our neighborhood has increasingly become angry about the activity at this house. Here are a few examples of what we’ve seen and experienced:
- Loud parties late at night and into the early morning hours
- Many cars parked on our street taking up spaces in front of our homes
- Cars racing down our street
- Drunk teenagers
- Marijuana use (resulting in arrests)
- Trash left out for days, then strewn about by critters
- Thug and hooker traffic
- Vomit in the street
- Beer cans/bottles and party waste in our yards and streets
There are often large teenager parties involving very large quantities of alcohol (hence the vomit). We see thug and hooker parties. Now we are beginning to see prostitution in the neighborhood this past week (April 13th).
One night, a bed was delivered to the home (there’s already three bedrooms in the house). Later that night, there were very bright flashes coming from the house. Based on the attire and thuggery in the house that night, there’s no doubt this was a porn shoot.
The owner has been contacted multiple times. He is disputing the city’s code violations for trash and he has revised his rules to disallow bad behavior. However, he isn’t actively monitoring the activity in this house for the sake of being a good neighbor. In fact, he has asked us to call him if we observe guests breaking his rules. I am not his personal security detail.
Airbnb invites activity into our neighborhood that people don’t want to do in their own neighborhood. Then what the hell makes you think I want it in my neighborhood? This comes in the form of drunken teen parties, sex parties, porn activity, prostitution, perhaps sex trafficking, drug use and generally, undesirable people and activities.
This is degrading the safety and security of our neighborhood, so much so that several of us neighbors have had to install security cameras and additional security lighting. Numerous complaints have been filed with Airbnb. We get nice letters stating they shared our complaints with the owner. Nothing changes. The homeowner could care less. He is getting his bone at our cost. I believe Airbnb has a good and viable purpose, but not in my neighborhood. This means war.
Ah, I am in New Zealand. A few years ago the local council gave permission to a developer to build 9 townhouses at the end of an already crowded cul de sac. He did not conform to the terms of the building consent and has been unable to sell the dwellings. So for the last 4 years the neighbourhood has suffered the Airbnb experience. Constant traffic, ubers racing up and down, loud parties and drunk idiots in the middle of the night fighting and arguing outside our house. During 2020 the tourist and wedding market disappeared and the “host” knowingly rented to a group of criminal gang members and drug dealers leading to months of noise control complaints tothe local authorities and multiple visits from the police. Some arrests were made and drugs and other items discovered. Neighbours have been threatened in the street. I wonder if the current guests know they are staying in a meth house. We have tried to engage with AirBNB but they dont respond or give arbitrary deadlines for more information before blocking further attempts to provide feedback.I think they should be banned. Air BNB are bad neighbours and bad global citizens. Prior to this the area was friendly and a good place for a family. I dont think there is any point trying to engage with Airbnb. Just alert your community and local authority and try to get the Airbnb shut down or fined into insolvency.
I feel for you. Living next to a damn hotel run by a convicted drug dealer who lives offsite whos whole ad is a huge lie and makes me constantly on alert as to what is really going on because it was a nice peacetul quiet neighborhood until renegade bought the house with drug money but has mummy listed as owner with family revokable trust to protect his assets.
Btw im curious to know if any of you having this issue are democrats or republicans
Ugh – we’re having a similar problem in our Dallas neighborhood and are looking to getting some laws put in place. The noise, the trash, the cars, the drag racing, the loud music, it’s ridiculous. We too live in a quiet, residential neighborhood and have chosen it for that reason. I found this site while doing research about our problem house and am disheartened to hear how many other people are dealing with the same thing. We’ve been working with our city council rep, code compliance, DCAD (they have a homestead and veterans exemption on it and are paying $0 in property taxes!), and AirBnb (who has done nothing), but I think the next step is going to be getting some short-term rental laws passed. I was looking at what L.A. did and in the process, found this site. Maybe it can help all of us. https://hostcompliance.com/
“We see thug and hooker parties.”
So you’re racist. Got it.
“So you’re racist. Got it.”
???
Thanks for the info. It looks like “The Love Shack” is still listed on Airbnb. I am sorry that this moron has decided to ruin the peace of your neighborhood. It’s funny these dirtbags wouldn’t throw these kinds of parties in a hotel because they would be kicked out and charged restitution and criminally prosecuted for their damage.
I feel that ALL short-term rental companies should be made illegal. Period. End of story. There is a reason why hotels are zoned and regulated heavily. Hotels are always built away from residential areas.
It is time the people fight back and destroy Airbnb. They will IPO soon so you should ruin their party. Shareholders making their profits off the backs of the misery of their communities. A truly rotten company.
These type of hosts are criminals and should be sued and put in prison for robbing the rest the citizens that actually comply and obey city laws and rules and pay taxes and work legally.
God better come do something before i have a cow that kicks over a lantern in the shed and causes a hot time in the old town tonight
For those in TX, Please join our coalition & help us fight back against the AirBnB-ification of Texas neighborhoods. You can follow @txneighbors on Twitter for info & updates on how we’re working to protect local control of zoning & short term rental regulations in TX.
Use this link to join the coalition:
propertyrightsandsafety.com/join-us
Completely agree.
I would consider retaining an attorney.
and inform the tax office and check with the local council what regulations are regarding short-term rentals aka running an illegal hotel. A real pain but – unfortunately – that’s the way to go. Best of luck!
call the police every single time, call the police.
Why do the tax payers have to police their house? They should be charged by the police each time they get called.