The picturesque views of Lake Norman have attracted many people to Iredell County to live and visit, but short-term rentals across the lake are starting to become an issue, neighbors tell Channel 9.
“Everybody always calls my place the resort right in the city,” homeowner Mike Joy said. “It’s very peaceful.”
Some properties have become so problematic on the east side of the lake that neighbors have called the police.
“It’s nice that they want to vacation here,” homeowner Jake Benyon said. “The problem we’re having is the short-term rentals that are becoming the party houses or the problem houses.”
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Two people who called 911 last summer said a party at a nearby rental home had 40 cars parked outside and was creating a traffic hazard.
Another caller earlier this year reported people riding jet skis near the shoreline, causing docks to shake. The caller said those people were staying at a rental property.
Benyon and Joy told Channel 9′s Erika Jackson that some rentals in their neighborhood have become problem properties.
“Definitely a lot of noise,” Benyon said. “Yelling, screaming, music.”
For Joy, a big issue is traffic.
“A lot of traffic, the traffic is crazy, it’s fast, it’s unsafe,” Joy said.
Measures are being taken to solve the problem. The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office is performing security checks on properties that are known to be short-term rentals. Iredell County state senator Vickie Sawyer filed a bill in March that aims to improve safety at short-term rentals.
The bill would allow local inspectors to check out a property if there’s a reason to believe it is hazardous and create stricter rules on the number of occupants.
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“We definitely need the local lawmakers to come up with regulations and enforcement,” Benyon said.
Parties are banned on properties managed by rental companies such as Airbnb, VRBO, and Stay Lake Norman. All three have support lines for urgent issues.
Instead of leaving the area, Benyon wants to see improvements.
“I would rather address the problem, the people that are causing the problem, than have to pick up and move from a place that I enjoy,” he said.
To file a complaint with a problematic rental property, click here.
(WATCH BELOW: City of Charlotte drops proposed regulations on short term rental properties)
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