Residents press council for stronger enforcement after recurring party houses and shootings

Residents at the Columbus City Council committee hearing urged faster, clearer enforcement tools for repeat problem short-term rentals, describing instances they say have repeatedly disrupted neighborhoods and led to violence.

Christopher Schiller, a Harrison West resident, said a cluster of four adjacent townhouse units near West Fourth operates like a de facto hotel that advertises for large parties and regularly draws crowds late into the night. “Nearly every weekend at 2 to 3:00 a.m. you can set the clock to it,” Schiller said. He told council the operator was removed from major platforms but continued to market rooms through a private website, and that weekend disturbances have included fights and shootings.

Willie Jones, who runs short-term rentals in the Columbus area, described a January booking that escalated into a shooting at his property that left “about 47 bullet holes through my property” and a guest shot; he said police initially treated the situation as civil until it turned violent. “I just feel like it's ridiculous that there's not some kind of leverage to get these people out of my home,” Jones said, urging stronger authority for owners and police.

Deputy Director Tony Celibreezy and Deputy Director Wendy Boots acknowledged the department is aware of certain problem properties and said staff have issued notices and plan further conversations with the owners. Boots said the department will include the city attorney’s office in follow-up discussions where nuisance or code remedies may be appropriate and that revocation or court action may be pursued when compliance efforts fail. Celibreezy described legal and practical constraints — including the time it can take for court proceedings — and said the pending code rewrite aims to provide clearer language and stronger tools for faster action.

Residents urged concrete steps: the ability for police to remove non-overnight guests when a trespass authorization is on file with police; more robust platform data-sharing so licensing staff can identify new listings quickly; and clear thresholds for when buildings run like hotels and should meet hotel safety and inspection standards. Staff reiterated plans to pursue platform integrations, an annual licensing report to council and clearer code language to make enforcement more effective.

The hearing did not include any vote or ordinance; it was a fact-finding session to shape potential legislation. Committee leaders said they will continue to accept feedback as staff prepare draft code language for council consideration.