Plano homeowners demand restrictions on short-term rentals after shooting
PLANO (CBSNewsTexas.com) – A group of Plano homeowners is now demanding restrictions on short-term rental properties after a shooting happened at one in their neighborhood over the weekend.
One of the bullets went through the window of a family's home, right into their daughter's playroom.
Zoey Sanchez has since covered the bullet holes with stickers in an attempt to shield her daughter.
"She's three," Sanchez said. "That's a lot to comprehend."
But the damage can't be undone.
"We found a safe neighborhood for her to grow up in, and now I'm scared for her to play in her playroom," said Sanchez. "I'm scared for what the weekend might bring and what parties might come."
Early Sunday morning, a house party at a short-term rental property across the street, in the 2000 block of Cannes Drive, ended with gunfire.
In a video from a neighbor's doorbell camera, you can hear three different bursts of it with at least 25 gunshots total.
"Which means 20 to 30 instances my life literally could have ended or it could have changed," Sanchez said. "I thought this was my safe haven, my sanctuary, and that kind of all changed this weekend."
The owner of the home told CBS News Texas she feels sick about what happened and has pulled the listing from VRBO and Airbnb indefinitely.
However, neighbors say that still doesn't solve the bigger problem.
"No matter where you live, if a house goes for sale next door, this could happen again, in any neighborhood," said Terri Frazier, who lives next door to the home where the shooting happened.
The City of Plano has no regulations for short-term rentals.
"Even if it's not an out-of-control rager that brings the police, every weekend I'm dealing with trash and people using our yard as a bathroom, and it is so exhausting and frustrating," she said.
Frazier is teaming up with Sanchez and other neighbors to demand the city take action.
Last fall, council members considered a registration ordinance after police busted an alleged sex trafficking ring operating out of a Plano short term rental property, but the measure was tabled so staff could do more research.
A new proposal is set to be presented to city council in April.
"This weekend, it was my window, my walls getting hit," Sanchez said. "What's next? I don't want someone to die for the city to do something about it."
Plano police are still investigating the shooting. When they arrived on scene, they arrested two of the people at the party for charges unrelated to the gunfire.
The owner of the property said the booking for the weekend was made through VRBO. She is now considering legal action against the platform for failing to screen whoever reserved the home.
CBS News Texas has reached out to VRBO but has not received a response.
The house had been rented through Airbnb once in the past.
A spokesperson for the company told CBS News Texas, "We looked into this and there was no Airbnb reservation at that address over the weekend. We did find that there were reservation attempts that were blocked by Airbnb's reservation screening technologies which are designed to block reservations potentially indicative of a party."