ST. LOUIS — Another weekend of chaos in downtown St. Louis has caused residents and city leaders to call for more regulations on short-term rentals. Many connect part of the violence and large crowds to these properties.
Plans are moving through city hall to crackdown on short-term rentals.
Solving these issues is something that's been on the city's radar for some time now.
St. Louis saw this problem a year ago with similar concerns from downtown residents about late-night parties at short-term rentals spilling into the streets.
City leaders said there's momentum to get regulations passed.
Robert Brich has lived downtown for three years and said he worries for his safety late at night.
"I feel like I need to be inside by 10 p.m. That's strange, considering my background, history, the years I've spent in the military and in combat zone areas, but I feel less safe here because it's just me versus when you're with your unit and you have proper PPE," he said.
It's also concerning to city officials including Ward 8 Alderwoman Cara Spencer.
"It's terrifying. I mean, really, we have got to get what's going on downtown under control," she said.
Two weekends in a row of large crowds, fights and guns have many, like Brich, saying enough is enough.
"Everyone's talking about the same thing over and over again. We know what the problem is. You know, the question is what are we doing to stop it?" he asked.
Brich is used to waking up to lots of noise in the middle of the night living downtown.
"You'll hear gunfire in the summertime at least once a week, sometimes twice a week, pretty consistently," he said.
That consistent sound came early Mother's Day morning, after police broke up two different large fights downtown involving multiple armed teens.
Then, a similar sight from the weekend before, video shows someone walking around carrying a gun.
Brich said he believes part of the chaos is due to Missouri's gun laws and no regulations on short-term rentals.
"Airbnb is one of the biggest issues. I do think that's what's bringing people down. It's because there really is no congregation place down here for after hours," he said.
Spencer said she has similar thoughts.
"We've got some real problematic landlords, some Airbnb's that we've got to get under control, and we've got to get the guns off the streets of St. Louis," she said.
The city's planning commission approved a plan for regulations on short-term rentals just last week.
It's now heading to the St. Louis Board of Alderman, according to Spencer.
"We are one of the last places in the region where we are not regulating Airbnb," she said.
If approved, some of the new rules would include a designated contact person for each short-term rental and a required permit that will be completed and reviewed yearly.
"Right now, when there's a problem, police cannot enter a premises without the permission of the property owner and there's no way at the last minute to get a hold of somebody, so with this permitting process, the police will be able to get a hold of the property owner and hopefully take care of some of this bad behavior at the exact moment that's happening and end these parties and rule St. Louis out as a place where this can just kind of run rampant," Spencer said.
For residents, like Brich, he's hoping this possible legislation can give him some piece of mind.
"It's not just in St. Louis. It's an urban issue across the United States," he said.
Brich said he would also like to see more police presence downtown.
A spokesperson with Mayor Tishaura Jones' office said she's in support of regulating short-term rentals.
5 On Your Side reached out to police to see if they had any information on crimes downtown happening near or in these short-term rentals.
A spokesperson said in a statement, "That would unfortunately be difficult to determine without knowing the locations of all short-term rentals."
Other downtown residents are concerned with the short-term rental regulations also and sent 5 On Your Side statements found below:
Dan Pistor, St. Louis Downtown Neighborhood Association Chair, said:
"Short-Term Rentals have been a source of crime and disturbances in downtown St. Louis for years. Currently, the City of St. Louis is one of the only cities in the country that has not passed legislation regulating short-term rentals. Certain items like licensing requirements, a cap on the number of guests, [and] two-night stay minimums would help in resolving some of the issues related to short-term rentals. Hopefully an ordinance is introduced in the near future."
Adam Briggs, a 15-year downtown resident, said:
"Unregulated and mismanaged short-term rentals are a serious issue for downtown. They often lead to huge late-night parties, mainly by teens, that lead to neighborhood disruption, violence, fighting, crime and shootings as the night progresses. They also invite unruly vehicular traffic on the streets around the party where cars will speed through the streets and blow stop signs and red lights. It’s shocking to see how much damage one party can have on all of downtown and if more than one party coincides at the same time, it can be complete chaos and overwhelming for law enforcement. City leaders lack of planning and lack of attention to this matter has gotten us to where we are today. It is time for IMMEDIATE action to permanently shut down these properties before further damage can be done. Believe it or not, people do want to live, work, play and visit our downtown. It can be a wonderful place when managed properly and has a ton to offer. It is beyond time for city leaders to stop ignoring the issues and start implementing the right strategies. If they do, downtown will become one of the most sought-after places to be and the entire direction of St. Louis would change."
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