Homeowners at the Landmark said they went to the city for help but got nowhere. They said the historic condominium high-rise they call home turned into a dangerous party house.
Channel 2 Action News Investigates is getting action for these homeowners who said Airbnbs are why they are living in hotel hell.
“Fighting, partying, yelling, screaming,” said George Weidman condo owner at Landmark Condominium in downtown Atlanta.
“We’ve had deaths in the building with shootings,” said Landmark resident Nicky Buggs.
And their HOA fees keep going up.
“The highest HOA is over $1,300 a month,” said Buggs.
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Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Sophia Choi took their concerns to city council.
She learned about a new plan to crack down on short-term rentals and the problems they are causing.
“It’s the weed, the smoking and drugs,” said Buggs.
“I see females running up and down the halls with no clothes on,” said Landmark resident Zeda Stanley Sartor.
Some homeowners at the Landmark are fed up with the parties and problems.
“It is really not a safe place for anybody to live,” said Stanley Sartor.
Channel 2 Action News first told you about the party problem at the Landmark in 2021.
“We are literally being forced out by Airbnb,” said a resident in 2021.
Some residents said it has gotten worse since then, because most of the nearly 200 units in the building are now Airbnbs.
“It stands now where they’re probably a good 80% over the building,” said Buggs.
They said all the extra guests mean more showers running, toilets flushing and laundry being washed in the basement leading to higher water bills.
“So, I think mine is about $130 a month for one person for water, for water. And that’s outside of the HOA that we already paid the water,” said Buggs.
“It’s a de facto 50% price increase,” said Weidman.
Some homeowners said it happened because the LLCs that own the Airbnb units took control of their HOA board.
“The bylaws unfortunately don’t depict any type of regulation regarding the Airbnb usage or rental usage,” said Buggs.
She showed Choi some of the safety concerns, like a boarded up window and a broken door to the pool.
“Homeless people will pop over the fence since they broke this door so that their Airbnb people can get in,” said Buggs.
Some homeowners said the Airbnb floors are prioritized. They have furniture and clean floors in the hallways while the mainly residential floors do not.
Choi showed an example of a door that was kicked in by firefighters that was replaced and looks good. Just across the hallway a door was also kicked in. It is owned by a resident, still has a lot of damage and you can easily push it open.
“I’d like my door fixed,” said Stanley Sartor.
But more than a year after a fire in the Airbnb’s office, it’s still not repaired.
Channel 2 Action News filed an open records request and found just 11 of the dozens of units being used as Airbnbs had short-term rental licenses as required by the city.
We asked the Landmark Condominium’s HOA Board about the lack of licenses, safety concerns and rising HOA fees, but they had no comment.
“The reporting of WSB has made an effect on trying to make sure that we’ve gotten this right,” said Atlanta City Council Member Michael Julian Bond.
He said the city has not been enforcing the current rules, but city council is working on a new ordinance.
“We’re setting a cap of only 10% per condominium in the city that can be used for Airbnb or some type of short-term rental housing,” said Bond.
He said the short-term licenses will be given on a first come, first served basis to those who pay a fee, and the cap will be retroactive.
That is good news for residents of the Landmark who just want to feel at home in their own homes.
“We have a right to live there and live in peace and not feel frightened or intimidated or terrorized or abused,” said Buggs.
HOAs also can be proactive and set their own limits on short-term rentals. Bond said he hopes city council will vote on the new ordinance at the end of March or April.
Channel 2 Action News will follow this and let you know if the ordinance passes.
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