Glen Ellyn 'tourist home' no holiday to at least one neighbor

In this struggling economy, one has to be creative to find new sources of income.

But one man's creativity has led his Glen Ellyn neighbor to conclude he's all but living next to a hotel in a residential neighborhood.

Chris Lifka says his neighbor, William Harty, has turned his house into a "tourist home" during the past 11 months, posting it on vacation rental websites and renting it to groups of people three or four days at a time.

Lifka complained to village administrators, who say Harty has broken no laws. They've declined to consider amending local laws to regulate such rental situations.

But Lifka says the transient guests pose a safety hazard to his three children.

"It's a scary situation," he said. "It's not to suggest they are bad people but it's concerning because you don't know who they are."

Most area towns follow Glen Ellyn's philosophy and do not specifically address so-called tourist homes in their ordinances. But those that do, such as Wheaton and Mundelein, say security and property values dictate the regulation.

Harty and Lifka live on the 600 block of Davis Terrace, west of Main Street in the northern part of town. The homes are in the middle of an area zoned for residential use, which includes houses, parks and schools. All other uses require special permits from the village.

Lifka, who has lived on Davis Terrace since 2001, says his neighbor's tourist home does not comply.

"When you get into a daily rental, it's very much like a hotel," he said. "I don't think that's what Glen Ellyn intended for homes to become in a residential neighborhood."

Village Manager Steve Jones said the situation is perfectly acceptable as long as no trouble comes of it. He estimates three other homeowners in the village do the same thing - something that does not demand a change to the ordinance.

"The impact appears to be pretty minor with regard to the village as a whole," he said. "The question is, someone who is renting at a pretty high rate of income, are they likely to cause a problem in a neighborhood? Perhaps, perhaps not. It's a balance. There's no right or wrong answer."

Harty's home is listed on various websites, including HomeAway.com, as a "Landmark Victorian Home." He charges between $300 and $325 a night, or $1,600 for a week. A recently added line in the advertisement reads "Per Glen Ellyn ordinance, single-family use only. No large gatherings or events."

Harty declined to comment on Lifka's complaints.

In Mundelein, tourist homes and rentals are specifically prohibited in residential areas.

"Zoning ordinances are created for the protection of everybody's home values, and they are created so you have contiguous, similar properties," said Mundelein's Pete Schubkegel, building department director. "A single-family home is not designed or built to be used in a transient nature. You have a lot more abuse on the property when you have that, and it's like a hotel."

Schubkegel echoed Lifka's safety concerns, saying it all adds up to a compelling reason for the village to define and prohibit tourist homes.

"When you invest in your property as a single-family, you want that value and investment protected," he said. "When you have a transient, non-single-family next door, you suffer as well."

Wheaton approved an ordinance in 1997 prohibiting such rentals.

"It is for the greater good of the community," Mayor Michael Gresk said. "It protects the home values of everybody in that city by keeping the intent and maintaining the original purpose of that property."

But even some larger suburbs, such as Naperville and Elgin, have not had to deal with tourist homes specifically. Naperville Community Planner Suzanne Thorsen said the city has received no complaints. And Elgin Senior Planner Sarosh Saher said it would be a good thing if residents offered their homes for short-term rentals because it would show that people would want to vacation in Elgin.

However, different rules would apply, depending on the rental situation.

"If a home is built in a residential area where someone wants to use it as a residential home but does not want to occupy it 365 days a year, that's OK," Saher said. "However, if different single families come in and out paying rent, then they have to get it licensed under rentals. It's a fine line. We'd have to really evaluate to see what this is turning into."

Similarly, Glen Ellyn Manager Jones says Harty's rental venture reflects well on the village.

"It's cool that Glen Ellyn warrants people staying here as a vacation spot," he said. "It's a great thing."

Lifka doesn't see it that way. He said he has called in noise complaints on the house several times but had not filled out incident reports because he did not want to hassle anybody. Instead, he said officers usually have quelled the situation by asking the neighbors to quiet down.

Lifka said he understands the village's decision not to amend its laws, but added he's concerned the village will not address the situation unless something bad happens.

"I don't know if they are hoping it goes away," he said. "The village doesn't have the resources to monitor the situation. They are monitoring it as it is convenient to them."