The battle over short-term rentals is heating up as the summer approaches.
The question is, are they a critical money maker for families, or a neighborhood nuisance?
Julie O’Conner lives on a small cul-de-sac near Durango and Ann Roads.
She says one of the neighboring homes has been a problem for some time, and short-term renters have been causing even more problems recently.
"They don't care. They come in from another state. They can do whatever they want, they go home and nobody knows anything," O’Conner said.
Clark County confirmed it is investigating a complaint about the home being used as a short-term rental.
O’Conner sent security video of a car doing a burnout in the street in front of her house, saying the group responsible was staying at the home for the weekend.
O’Conner said it is reflective of the type of people who stay at the home a majority of the time.
"I would say 60 percent of the time there's been issues with the speeding or loud music," O’Conner said.
Clark County is planning to have code enforcement officers crackdown on short-term rental homes over the Memorial Day weekend.
The homes are illegal in the county areas, because of many of the same complaints O’Conner mentioned.
Homeowners caught violating the law face fines of up to $1,000.
On the other side of the coin are those that invite guests into their home through services like Airbnb.
"Fun, polite and they want to be in a home," Ellen Ross said of the people who have stayed in her home near Windmill Lane and Gillespie Street.
Ross said she began hosting people on Airbnb after her children moved out.
She said it’s been a fun experience and helps her pay the bills.
"I might collect $1600 a month," Ross said.
Ross is among the numerous Airbnb hosts who have reached out to representatives from the City of Las Vegas to discuss the benefits of short-term rentals.
This as the city is considering changing laws to require special-use permits for short-term rentals as well as other guidelines.
“The overwhelming majority of Airbnb hosts in Las Vegas are middle class families who depend on Airbnb to make ends meet. We want to work with public officials to ensure that hosts comply with local rules and regulations. Like our hosts, the majority of Airbnb travelers to Las Vegas are responsible guests who are respectful of the neighborhoods they visit,” Jasmine Mora, Airbnb press secretary said.
The Recommending Committee is set to hold another hearing on June 19th at 10 am.
The City Council is then expected to begin discussing the rules on June 21st.
