COLUMBUS, Ohio — The City of Columbus is now looking into Tuesday’s homicide at an Oak Street property to determine whether the owner was operating the unit as a short-term rental illegally.
Police confirm 30-year-old Clayden McNeil was found dead from a gunshot wound inside the doorway of the property near Franklin Park.
Neighbors say they're concerned of what rental properties are doing to the safety of this community.
“It makes us all unsafe when there are properties like this,” Lori Coollner said.
“It definitely made me uncomfortable, uneasy and saddened,” says Owner of Just Chicken, Aleah Martin.
The Department of Public Safety says the owner, Austin Rutherford, used to operate it as a short-term rental but the license expired in November.
"We need to take a hard look at what's going on in our neighborhoods with short-term rentals to understand and better find ways to make people feel safe in communities in which they operate,” Councilmember Emmanuel Remy said.
He says 98.9% of short term rental operators are doing business the right way, but not everyone.
"It’s a few bad actors who are painting a bad picture over the entire industry, so we're going to find out ways to hold them accountable,” says Remy.
Neighbors say this isn't the first time there have been disturbances at Rutherford's properties.
Rutherford also held a short term rental license on a property on Franklin Avenue. The license of that property has also expired.
"There were big parties in the front yard, there were damages to the property next door, there were people peeing in the front yard, getting into fights,” Abe Zowadni said.
Zowadni says several residents banned together to file complaints to the rental property platform who removed the listing. According to residents, the property is now owned by new residents.
Remy says they cannot shut down short-term rentals, but the city is working hard on tackle this issue this year.
When asked what repercussions would be for one of these property owners receiving multiple complains, Remy said the city will look at all legal options.