INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Homeowners who live near short-term rental properties told News 8 a proposed permitting system is a good start in dealing with problem properties.

The Indianapolis City and County Council is scheduled to vote Monday night on an ordinance that would require owners or managers of all short-term rental properties, such as those offered through Airbnb and Vrbo, to register with the city and pay a one-time $150 permit fee. The move follows months of complaints from neighbors and shootings at short-term rental properties, including a shooting in June that left one man dead and two others hospitalized.

Dakota Pawlicki, president of the Coalition to Address Short-Term Rentals, said he was once involved in a shooting in an alley behind his Fountain Square home in connection with a short-term rental property. Less extreme problems include parking issues and extra air conditioning units taking up space. Pawlicki said he began collecting complaints about short-term rental properties in November 2022. By July, he had collected 145 complaints about 71 properties. 28 of those properties accounted for 100 of those reports, or 70%.

“Many of these negligent short-term rental owners and operators don’t even live in the city,” Pawlicki said. “Many don’t even live in the state. So there needs to be some serious conversation at both the local and state level about what we do on behalf of Indiana residents, on behalf of Indiana residents who are good, honest short-term rental operators, how we can adjust our policies and make them a little bit more attuned to what they’re going to do, while balancing the need for community safety and vitality.”

City Councilwoman Kristin Jones said it would be difficult for officials to locate out-of-state owners and managers in an emergency. She said having a permit in place would make the search easier.

“We’re not trying to hurt the good actors, we’re trying to impose structure on the bad actors,” Jones said. “We’re just trying to figure out who the people are that own and operate these short-term rentals. We’re not trying to enforce owner-occupied rentals.”

Jones said the permit system will be voluntary until Jan. 1, after which it will become mandatory. Pawlicki said once it’s in place, he plans to talk to leaders of other cities and towns about what changes they think are needed at the state level.

In a statement, an Airbnb spokesperson said the company supports the proposal:

“Home sharing has been an integral part of the Indianapolis cityscape for years. It allows the city to welcome visitors whose spending supports local businesses and creates economic opportunities for residents. We support the proposed ordinance that protects responsible home sharing and allows Indianapolis to capitalize on the growing opportunities surrounding tourism.”

Airbnb spokesperson