HOUSTON — Neighbors in west Houston tell KHOU 11 News that wild parties have continued at two short-term rental properties even after Airbnb removed the rentals from their platform.
“I’m fed up, I’m tired, I haven’t got sleep in the past 48 hours,” Kathy Yang said.
Yang shared security camera video that shows dozens of partygoers walking or driving into the Westhaven Estates overnight Saturday into Sunday morning.
At one point, a driver can be seen trying to turn their car into a tight space where Yang said her exterior A/C unit is stationed.
“It keeps getting worse and worse,” she said. “With us here I don’t know what’s going to happen with us, I keep saying I have to watch my back now.”
In one video, Yang shouts at partygoers to leave -- one of them replies “talk to the Airbnb lady.”
Incidents involving unruly guests, reptiles, “sex parties,” and guns have been an ongoing nuisance according to neighbors at the townhome complex and those who live across the street from it.
Last Thusday, Airbnb confirmed it had delisted the two troublesome properties. However, neighbors told us that guests still showed up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
They fear the properties are now being listed on other rental platforms or social media.
Peter Chika shares a wall with one of the townhomes, as well as a driveway.
“There are times where we’ve just barely avoided an alteration and one day it’s going to get messy,” he said. “Not because we want it to but someone is going to lose it.”
Daniel Foisie lives immediately next door to the other townhome.
“You don’t know who they are, you don’t know what they’re doing here, they're up all night partying, smoking – the smell of marijuana is permeating through the place.”
Yang said police are often called to the townhome complex to deal with the partygoers but it doesn’t seem to deter future attractions. When neighbors try to appeal to the owner of at least one of the townhomes, Kathy says she accuses them of being prejudiced toward the partygoers.
“She said you’re just racist and that’s it, that’s her only defense, and I want to say there’s no racists here,” Yang said. "We love our neighbors, but they [townhome owners] don't love us."
When KHOU 11 called, the owners of the "nightmare" townhomes either hung up or refused to pick up the phone.
Last week, Houston mayor John Whitmire vowed to regulate the city’s short-term rentals and said the city planned to make an “informed decision” before moving forward.