(Michigan City, IN) - Recent complaints ranging from loud parties to nudity at short term rentals in a neighborhood close to the lakefront have triggered officials in Michigan City to look for possible answers.

 

The city council has scheduled public workshops for May 13 and June 10 at City Hall to define the scale of the problem and examine potential solutions.

 

Councilman Greg Coulter said finding answers might be more difficult in Indiana than Michigan due to differences in state law.

 

“It’s difficult living in Michigan City and looking at New Buffalo where in Michigan they have rights to limit these things,” he said.

 

During the city council meeting on Tuesday, a number of residents from the Sheridan Beach neighborhood requested teeth be added to an ordinance that only requires short term rentals be registered with the city.

 

Resident Diane Vough said some of the larger short term rentals appear to be at overcapacity with 30 or more guests doing things like getting in and out of outdoor hot tubs naked.

 

She said some of the guests appear to be underage drinkers.

 

Vough said other problems include people vomiting and urinating outside even at daylight.

 

“It’s a routine amount of behaviors.  It’s just like party central,” she said.

 

Vough said there are also problems with litter and trash bins overfilled for extended periods at some of the short term rentals.

 

Resident Vivian Ott said the request for more restrictions came after seeing no let-up in the problems four years since short term rentals were required to be registered with the city.

 

“This has become more problematic for our neighborhood and for the quality of life for those of us who live in that neighborhood,” she said.

 

Coulter said the problems appear mostly rooted with high school students and their activities after prom.

 

“Every year it seems to be post-prom,” he said.

 

In 2021, the city council in New Buffalo adopted a measure prohibiting new short term rentals from opening in residential neighborhoods in response to similar complaints from full time citizens.

 

Another reason for the decision was to try and restore the number of homes available for purchase in the city especially for young families with children.

 

The legal options used by other Indiana communities to get a handle on the problems with short term rentals will be one of the focuses in Michigan City during the June workshop.