Pittsburgh City Council is looking to address concerns about short-term rentals. 

The idea is to prevent neighborhoods in the city from being overrun by short-term rentals and to make sure they are operating safely, not being a nuisance to city residents.

"You see these big parties, you see a lot of people, that's where the violence starts. There is no oversight or people looking into these Airbnbs and making sure 40 people aren't having a party in them," said Armin Samii, a short-term-rental owner who lives in Friendship.

While a registry is still stuck in the courts, Councilperson Deb Gross introduced the same bills she did last year on Tuesday. They expired as the council worked on the budget at the end of last year. She said there are 3,000 short-term rentals in the city and estimates that about 1,000 are run by people who operate just one.

"It's the wild west, and we are seeing problems," Councilperson Deb Gross said.

The proposed bills would require a license to run a short-term rental, put limits on what they can be used for and limit how many people can be in a building. 

This comes following a shooting on New Year's Eve at a short-term rental and a mass shooting in 2022 at a party that left two teenagers dead.

"These bills will further scrutinize and make sure that we are only allowing Airbnbs in the city of Pittsburgh where we see fit," Councilperson Bobby Wilson said.

Neighbors hope it does enough to limit incidents and stop neighborhoods from becoming empty houses that are essentially hotels.

"We need something that says you are approved to do this. These are the rules associated with you doing this. If you break the rules, we are going to rescind your ability to do this anymore," Cindy McCauley, of East Allegheny, said.

Airbnb released a statement that said, in part:

"We're committed to working with lawmakers to help ensure guests, hosts, and neighbors can quickly and appropriately address nuisance and safety concerns, while empowering Pittsburgh residents to benefit from local tourism."