DEARBORN, Mich. – City council members in Dearborn voted to pass a new ordinance that would ban short-term Airbnb rentals in certain parts of the city.
Every city council member present voted to approve the new ordinance, but it did not take effect in October.
It will go into effect at the beginning of the year.
This now means that short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and VRBOs, will only be allowed in the east and west downtown districts.
“The problem with Airbnb is that you have people coming and going at different hours. You don’t know who they are. You don’t know who’s supposed to be there,” said one resident during Tuesday night’s meeting.
“Many of us who actually own short-term rentals actually live in these neighborhoods. I don’t accept the idea that we are somehow disrupting our own community’s environment,” said another resident during the meeting.
However, for some, the extra income can be the difference between struggling to make ends meet and achieving financial stability.
“Some of us make a living. Some of us pay our healthcare, bills, and taxes. So now they’re gonna cut off this income for us,” said Bruno Morabito.
“It helps me pay my mortgage and bills, and it’s how I can afford to stay in my home and the city that I love,” said another resident.
In the past, some Dearborn residents have complained about specific properties being a nuisance due to loud partygoers at times and an overall lack of upkeep.
“They sit on the front porch and smoke dope. I have people parking in my driveway. I get up in the morning, and there are cars from New York in my driveway,” said one woman supporting the ordinance.
Others believe that the rentals are suitable for the city.
“Our houses are immaculate on the inside and outside,” Morabito said.
The ordinance also protects residents from housing shortages in this time of rising costs.
Either way, the new ordinance ultimately passed.
“This is not a balanced approach. It’s a blanket policy that changes the lives of a lot of people who depend on it as a major source of living,” said another woman against the new ordinance.
Some are now worried that hotels will have the upper hand, at least in the city of Dearborn.
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