After Summer Shooting In Center City Airbnb, Councilmember Pushes For Short-Term Rental Rules By End Of Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- After multiple people were shot at a Center City Airbnb party over the summer, neighbors and city councilmembers were successful in getting it shut down. That shooting happened in mid-August and other nuisance Airbnbs could also be shut down.
That area, 13th street between Pine and Lombard Streets, is a very busy part of the city, but it all came to a standstill when dozens of shots were fired into a crowd.
"We had 61 bullets, I think was the final number here," Peter Joly said. "Nuts. Nuts."
Calm interrupted on a hot summer evening.
The shooting Joly is referring to happened in the overnight hours of Aug. 9. Three people were injured after being shot while standing outside of a party at an Airbnb. Several homes and cars were also hit.
"This is the neighborhood and so to have it at our doorsteps was devastating," Karina Sotnik said.
Sotnik lives a few doors down from where the shooting and party took place. She says the property was a nuisance from the very beginning.
"I think it's really important that we as a community decide what we want to do with our block," Sotnik said.
Following the shooting, several neighbors advocated for the rental to be shut down, and it appears as though they were successful.
Councilmember Mark Squilla wrote a letter to Airbnb requesting they take the property off the site, and it wasn't listed on the site as of Tuesday morning.
"All we're asking is for you to be a good neighbor and a good landlord," Squilla said.
Earlier this year, the Philadelphia City Council passed legislation requiring short-term rentals to be licensed. The councilmember is now in the process of drafting the regulations to be enforced by the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Airbnb is also not allowing single-night rentals for the upcoming Halloween holiday. Also, as of Aug. 20, the site banned all parties at its listing globally.
"Listen, there's a lot of business opportunities out there. And if you do it right and you follow the regulations, there's no problems," Squilla said.
For Joly, who says he successfully fought other nuisance short-term rentals, those regulations can't come soon enough.
"I got mugged three, four, five times, and that's all gone, but I'm now older and I no longer feel safe again," Joly said.
It's important to note that these new regulations will apply to all private rental sites, not just Airbnb. The councilmember says he hopes to have those regulations in place by the end of the year.
In regard to this particular Airbnb, Eyewitness News has reached out to the company, but we are waiting to hear back.
