A licensed VRBO rental property in Plymouth, MN was recently the scene of a shooting which resulted in a man’s death. Before this incident, the city had not received any reports of issues at the property. The host of the home said the VRBO rental had policies in place which included banning parties and restricting renters to at least 26 years old. She also shared, according to the VRBO booking, that it was being rented by one person with no additional guests. However, neighbors said a far different situation played out with several teens running out of the house the night of the shooting. Many questions remain, including what policies are in place to prevent crime from happening at short-term rentals in the first place.
In an interview with KARE 11, Hellmuth & Johnson real estate attorney Nancy Polomis explained that rentals are regulated differently city to city. “If the owner was abiding by the rental regulations of Plymouth, and the host was reinforcing that and was imposing restrictions that may have even been more stringent than what the short-term rental platform required, they’ve done what they can do,” Polomis said. “90% of short-term rentals probably go off without a hitch.”