Short-term rental woes

How would you like it if you had new neighbours move in next door to you every three or four days and never got to know or meet them?

Would you feel safe? Would you feel the need to lock up all your garden belongings?

Would you worry about these revolving door renters using an open flame firepit on the wood balcony and starting a fire?

This is my world since the adjacent property became a short-term rental house.

One recent weekend, six young adult men occupied the rental house, making me feel very nervous and unsafe in my own home.

This particular house (it’s a full house not a carriage house or rental room inside a house) can accommodate up to six guests, which often means at least three additional vehicles on the streets and a substantial increase in noise from the balcony late at night.

As there are still no bylaws in Summerland regarding where short-term rental units are allowed, there are no regulations and no recourse for neighbours. In my opinion, short-term rental housing should not be allowed in primarily single-family neighbourhoods, as it often negatively impacts the adjoining property owners.

Diana Smith, Summerland