Lakewood Council Weighs Six-Month Pause on New Short-Term Rentals

Lakewood City Council is considering a six-month halt on new short-term rentals in the city, as members look for time to develop rules for a market that has drawn growing concern from residents.

Councilman at Large Tom Bullock said the city has too often left neighbors to cope on their own. "Too frequently, we're just shrugging our shoulders and saying, 'Neighbor, you got to live with this, and we'll get around to it eventually.' And that's not good enough," Bullock said.

According to Bullock, residents living near short-term rentals have raised a range of complaints. He listed parking, noise, "a rotating cast of characters," a changed sense of neighborhood character, and at times safety concerns.

He described the proposed pause as a standard tool for situations like this. Such pauses, Bullock said, are typically used to allow time for a more detailed regulation or policy so the city can settle on a long-term approach.

Ralph Piunno, who has lived in the Birdtown neighborhood for years, has several Airbnbs near his home. He said his experience has generally been good, with no problems and no party houses nearby, though he has heard of some elsewhere in the city. Piunno said he would like to see stronger safeguards and supports a pause on new rentals while the details are worked out. He worries that if something goes wrong at a problem property, the contacts and people may not be in place to resolve it quickly.

Piunno also raised a concern about housing supply. If short-term rentals multiply, he said, they could take away housing that might otherwise be available to long-term residents, since Lakewood always faces a housing shortage.

Conor O'Malley, who owns an Airbnb in Lakewood, offered a different view. He said short-term rentals fill a real need because the city has no hotels and is a densely populated community with many families who host visitors. "I think Airbnbs in general have been an asset," O'Malley said.

O'Malley acknowledged that some rentals have caused problems but cautioned against going too far. He said rules such as required distances from schools or limits on how long guests can stay do not make sense. He suggested the city instead target the behavior behind complaints, such as parties and noise, and floated a three-strike program as one possible approach.

Despite their differences on regulation, both Piunno and O'Malley support pausing new rentals while the city weighs its options.

Council could vote on the proposed moratorium at its next meeting. How long it will take to finalize new regulations, and what those rules will contain, remains unclear.