Permits now required for short-term rental owners in Speedway

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — The town of Speedway is now requiring owners of short-term rental properties, including Airbnb and Vrbo rentals, to purchase a permit.

The permits cost $150 per year and will be renewed at no cost as long as the owner doesn’t exceed three violations a year.

Town manager Grant Kleinhenz says that the city has seen a 30% percent increase in the number of short-term rental properties over the last 10 years.

“We also want to maintain a small town, family-oriented with good schools, and we feel like protecting our property rights, not only of the town but those who own property adjacent to short-term rentals, they have certain rights.”

Jake Carroll lives near a short-term rental at 22nd Street and Fisher Avenue. He says he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in six months.

“Partying, music, I can hear it vibrating the glasses that we have hanging, throughout the night, school nights, work nights, everything in between,” Carroll said.

Carroll has lived in the neighborhood for six years and this is the second tenant who lived in the home next to him that he’s had issues with.

“We’ve reached out to the owners a couple of times, they’ll come to check up on it, it will calm down a little bit then it just persists again.”

Speedway officials estimate there could be between 60 to 120 short-term rentals operating in the town at any given time, and because of this, the town manager is giving those owners up until October 2024 to comply with the new permitting ordinance.