Jenkintown’s first short-term rental request was just denied — but it’s not the only Airbnb in town
Jenkintown's first request for a short-term rental was denied on Thursday. But some AirBnbs may have already been operating in the borough for years.
Jenkintown’s zoning board denied its first short-term rental request on Thursday after residents complained about noise and visitors.
Resident Elvira Lindgren and her husband bought and renovated a twin in hopes of renting out rooms, she said in an interview Friday. The couple began hosting almost a year ago, according to their Airbnb.com listing. But the business has led to tension with some neighbors, who urged the board to deny the request for an official rental license.
The tiny Montgomery County town’s code did not permit short-term rentals until spring 2025, when the borough created an ordinance that allows property owners to open the small businesses with permission from the zoning hearing board, which typically only meets once per year.
Jenkintown now requires a rental license under the new ordinance, which lays out policies on location, parking, safety, and fines, among other things.
Lindgren said she didn’t know about the licensing process when she first started, but when a neighbor reported her, the borough said she could continue operating until Thursday’s hearing.
First Airbnb request draws neighbor dispute
Lauren Davis, whose family shares a wall with the Lindgrens, said Friday that the twins aren’t suited to Airbnb rentals — partly because they share attic access — and that she and other parents are upset to see older men walking on the property, rather than medical students as Lindgren had told her to expect.
“The level of activity they have going on there is better suited to a standalone home,” Davis said.
The borough was mindful of Jenkintown’s already-dense residential development while working on the new short-term rental rules with the county planning office, borough manager George Locke said Wednesday, before the hearing.
“We wanted to have it, but we wanted it in certain locations,” Locke said, “and to make sure it was safe for everybody and didn’t become a nuisance.”
Reached by phone Friday, board solicitor Noah Marlier wouldn’t comment on why the board denied the license.
Lindgren said she was “shocked” by the pushback at Thursday’s meeting from Davis and two other neighbors, adding that seven neighbors had signed a document before the meeting attesting they had no problems with her business.
Davis argued at the hearing that problems during renovation, including a gas leak that forced her family to evacuate, showed the short-term rental would not follow rules.
But accidents can happen during any renovation, Lindgren said Friday, so it’s unfair to count the incident against the business itself.
Lindgren also defended her guests, who she said have included medical students, World Cup visitors, and an out-of-state dad who stays monthly to visit his daughter. While she understands their concern for their children’s safety, complaints are one-off incidents that the neighbors falsely portray as a pattern, she said, and she doesn’t hesitate to remove the rare guest who causes problems.
“I’ve met so many people from abroad, so many countries,” Lindgren said. “Quite a few people became friends.”
She’s disappointed that the board’s decision means visitors coming to Jenkintown to see loved ones or work at Jefferson Abington Hospital will lose a housing option in the area, Lindgren said.
Some Jenkintown Airbnbs may run without approval
But Jenkintown does have a few other short-term rentals, according to postings on Airbnb — including two that appear to have operated for several years.
Locke wouldn’t say whether he’s aware of any unlicensed short-term rentals, but he encouraged any property owners operating one to seek approval.
The borough’s solicitor is expected to write a written opinion on Lindgren’s case within 45 days, and she could appeal after that.
But Lindgren plans to consider options for longer-term renters instead, like traveling nurses. The short-term ordinance only applies to properties that offer stays of fewer than 30 days and accept guests for fewer than 120 days total in the year. Properties that book more than 120 days a year are considered hotels in Jenkintown.
“I just feel bad for those who won’t get to stay with me,” she said.
Inquirer Greater Abington
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