INTERNEWSTIMES.COM – A sorority recruitment event held at a short-term rental property in London, Ont., has sparked controversy among local residents, raising concerns about the impact of Airbnb rentals on residential neighbourhoods.
Alpha Omicron Pi, a sorority at Western University, hosted the event at 167 Sunnyside Drive, a large single-family home, over the weekend. While the sorority claims to have been transparent with the property owner about the event’s details, neighbours were taken aback by the influx of young women arriving in busloads, disrupting the quiet residential street.
“We communicated our needs for the space before booking and prior to the event with the owner,” said Sabina de Crescentiis, president of the Alpha Omicron Pi chapter. “We shared with the owner that there would be multiple groups of 30-45 women at a time rotating in and out of the property over the course of each day.”
However, the property owner, Jithin Das, claims he was unaware of the event’s true scale. He thought the sorority would be bringing in small groups of women, not large gatherings every few hours.
“I was not told,” Das said. “They said 30 to 40 girls would be coming in turns, in four or five groups. So, I thought 30 or 40 divided by five, that’s seven or eight people at a time. That was my calculation.”
Neighbours have expressed frustration over the ongoing issue of large groups of people frequenting the property, which includes a pool and home theatre. They argue that the home’s use as a short-term rental disrupts the peace and quiet of their neighbourhood.
“Understanding this was a residential property, our chapter communicated the need for the space before booking as well as prior to the event with the owner,” De Crescentiis wrote to CBC News. “This was reiterated prior to the start of the event as well. If the owner had shared concerns about the use of the space, our chapter would have understood and would not have proceeded with the reservation.”
The incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the impact of short-term rentals on residential neighbourhoods. While Airbnb offers homeowners tips on preventing parties and allows hosts to limit the ages of renters, the platform has faced criticism for its lack of enforcement and its potential to contribute to noise and disturbance in residential areas. (Red)
