Pittsburgh residents voice concerns over short-term rental regulations

Pittsburgh City Council held a hearing where residents from various neighborhoods voiced their opinions on proposed regulations for short-term rental properties, as council members consider changes to how these rentals are managed in the city.”We’ve had multiple shootings, multiple parties, unruly parties that happened, so it’s not that we don’t trust everyone. It’s that we have to go through a path where there is actually transparency,” said Bobby Wilson, a Pittsburgh council member.Incidents involving short-term rentals have raised safety concerns, including a shooting on New Year’s Day this year, where police say a woman was injured on Constance Street, and a 2022 Easter Sunday shooting at an Airbnb party on Suismon Street that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers. Currently, there are no restrictions on short-term rentals in Pittsburgh.”We are finally putting language in our zoning code that says short-term rental, so there will be a process. So basically, if you live in your house, you’re there, and you don’t need a zoning permit, but if you want to live in Florida and buy a property in Pittsburgh and use it kind of like a hotel, then you have to get a zoning permit,” said Deb Gross, another Pittsburgh council member.Council members decided to send a zoning permit bill to the planning commission, while a separate bill related to business license permits was held for 12 weeks. During the public hearing, residents shared their views on the proposed regulations.”The only opposition we have heard to these bills so far are the people who make money from this industry. I have yet to hear Joe Schmo Yinzer come up and say I don’t want the Airbnb in my neighborhood to be regulated. I don’t think that guy exists. I think that the people who have to live with these things wanted to see them regulated. I think the people who make money don’t want them to be regulated,” said Jon Hanrahan, from Fineview.Chad Wise, founder of the Steel City Short Term Rental Alliance, expressed his perspective on the matter. “We want smart, targeted, efficient regulation, not overregulation,” he said.Some residents believe that short-term rentals detract from the neighborhood’s feel. “When you have a neighborhood that’s all short-term rentals, you essentially have a ghost neighborhood,” said Nick Petrillo, from the Brighton Heights Citizens Federation.Wise also commented on the evolving nature of community interactions. “I think that people like the idea of community, but in 2026, we’re on our phones, we have neighbors on our phones, but we don’t necessarily interact with all of our neighbors,” he said.The zoning permit bill is now headed to the planning commission, while the business license permit bill remains on hold.Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel

PITTSBURGH —

Pittsburgh City Council held a hearing where residents from various neighborhoods voiced their opinions on proposed regulations for short-term rental properties, as council members consider changes to how these rentals are managed in the city.

“We’ve had multiple shootings, multiple parties, unruly parties that happened, so it’s not that we don’t trust everyone. It’s that we have to go through a path where there is actually transparency,” said Bobby Wilson, a Pittsburgh council member.

Incidents involving short-term rentals have raised safety concerns, including a shooting on New Year’s Day this year, where police say a woman was injured on Constance Street, and a 2022 Easter Sunday shooting at an Airbnb party on Suismon Street that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers.

Currently, there are no restrictions on short-term rentals in Pittsburgh.

“We are finally putting language in our zoning code that says short-term rental, so there will be a process. So basically, if you live in your house, you’re there, and you don’t need a zoning permit, but if you want to live in Florida and buy a property in Pittsburgh and use it kind of like a hotel, then you have to get a zoning permit,” said Deb Gross, another Pittsburgh council member.

Council members decided to send a zoning permit bill to the planning commission, while a separate bill related to business license permits was held for 12 weeks. During the public hearing, residents shared their views on the proposed regulations.

“The only opposition we have heard to these bills so far are the people who make money from this industry. I have yet to hear Joe Schmo Yinzer come up and say I don’t want the Airbnb in my neighborhood to be regulated. I don’t think that guy exists. I think that the people who have to live with these things wanted to see them regulated. I think the people who make money don’t want them to be regulated,” said Jon Hanrahan, from Fineview.

Chad Wise, founder of the Steel City Short Term Rental Alliance, expressed his perspective on the matter. “We want smart, targeted, efficient regulation, not overregulation,” he said.

Some residents believe that short-term rentals detract from the neighborhood’s feel.

“When you have a neighborhood that’s all short-term rentals, you essentially have a ghost neighborhood,” said Nick Petrillo, from the Brighton Heights Citizens Federation.

Wise also commented on the evolving nature of community interactions.

“I think that people like the idea of community, but in 2026, we’re on our phones, we have neighbors on our phones, but we don’t necessarily interact with all of our neighbors,” he said.

The zoning permit bill is now headed to the planning commission, while the business license permit bill remains on hold.

Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel