Rental homes can have revolving door of partyers

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 | 7:40 a.m.

When Kari DeMattia bought her home five years ago she didn't expect to be living next to a hotel.

But in her mind she is.

Her neighbor near Buffalo Drive and Oakey Boulevard, DeMattia says, has been renting out a four-bedroom, 3,300-square-foot home on weekends for the past two years to out-of-towners. DeMattia has had car loads of college kids leave beer cans on her lawn. She's put up with loud noise and speeding cars through her c ul-de-sac. On Thanksgiving a large commercial bus was parked in front of her home.

"Since then I have been calling code enforcement every day," she said.

But Las Vegas officials say little can be done. Renting property out on a daily, weekly or monthly basis is legal in Las Vegas.

"If people have complaints about noise or trash or other issues they can call code enforcement," said Jace Radke, a city spokesman. "If they are doing something illegal they can call the cops."

City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian said she is drafting an ordinance that would limit homeowners' ability to rent their homes for less than a month. But she stressed that the city must respect the landlords' rights in addition to angry neighbors.

She also said people who rent their homes on a short-term basis may be violating zoning ordinances by operating businesses in residential areas. "They advertise on the Internet saying, 'Come for NBA weekend and we'll have all these amenities,' " she said. "We call them party houses."

Tarkanian suspects the increase in the number of homes being rented out is a byproduct of growth. More special events are also contributing.

Similar rentals have been banned in unincorporated Clark County and Henderson. North Las Vegas has not banned them.

A quick Internet search shows dozens of area homes available as weekend rentals. The one near DeMattia is available for $1,200 Thursday to Sunday. The ad says it sleeps 14 and includes a sauna and pool. Other homes go for as much as $5,000 for a three-day weekend.

But what might sound like a fun party to the renters may sound like a nuisance to neighbors.

"If this was next door to a councilman this wouldn't be an issue," DeMattia's husband, Paul, said.

But it is an issue to the family. They worry for the safety of their two young children when strangers move in next door for a weekend.

"I don't know who is next door," Kari DeMattia said. "I'm scared to let my children outside. When you have million-dollar homes you don't expect this."