Coalition to Address Short-term Rentals

Background

Indy's historic neighborhoods are the place to be for visitors far and wide, and while many neighborhoods are eager to share their community with visitors, issues with Short-Term Rentals have soured many residents. Ranging from property maintenance and loud parties, to outright violence and drug use, neighbors have been speaking up about the problems they face with negligent owners and operators of short-term rentals.

Often reserved on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO, Indy's neighborhoods are littered with short-term rentals. While there are many responsible, local owners and operators of short-term rentals, the majority of problems come from a handful of bad actors - many of whom do not live in the county or state.

In response, the Fountain Square Neighborhood Association partnered with several other neighborhood groups and HUNI to create the Coalition to Address Short Term Rentals (CASTR). Over the past 18 months, CASTR has been collecting data on problematic short-term rentals and has been working with the city to come up with common sense proposals to address problematic short-term rentals.

City Council's Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee have sent a proposed ordinance to the City-County Council that would require short-term rental owners to register their property. A registry will provide the city and communities with the data needed to use existing laws to address properties that are routinely mis-managed.

CASTR is still collecting data on problematic short-term rentals. If you have a problem with a nearby short-term rental property, please take a moment to report it. This data helps the coalition shape policy recommendations, is provided to city agencies for enforcement action, and provides an opportunity for communities to address problems using local solutions.