Rental property stirs up controversy in Monroe County

POCONO MANOR, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local rental property in the Poconos is stirring up controversy for much more than noise complaints.

The property has been a point of contention for its lack of licensing to operate as a rental, but neighbors have more concerns than what’s on paper.

We first heard about this property at a Pocono Township hearing on April 23 addressing its lack of permits .

The hearing was scheduled to continue this evening but was canceled due to the property owners settling with the township.

Locals thought this was a win at first, but soon saw the cycle was repeating itself.

“The Poconos has found a beautiful balance for decades between tourism, short-term rentals, and neighborhoods. But after covid, that drastically changed,” said Pocono Manor resident Sammy Jackson.

Jackson is just one resident in the Poconos who has been dealing with that change for the last few years.

He has lived across the street from 205 Lake Road in Pocono Manor for almost 20 years, now he’s fighting to return his street back to a neighborhood and not a rental site.

“If Walmart wanted to put up a store right next to me, CVS, a strip club, I would be fighting that just as much. Because they are just as destructive to the idea of a neighborhood,” Jackson explained.

An April hearing with Pocono Township led the current owners of 205 Lake Road to settle and agree not to rent the property out again, leaving residents hopeful that they’ve seen the end of temporary neighbors.

But when Jackson saw the for sale sign out front, he worried the cycle was starting again.

“They’ll sell the home, they’ll make a nice profit of it, and they’ll leave us with yet another owner who’s gonna do the exact same thing,” Jackson added.

Jackson says the owners rent the property out and leave the guests unmonitored, resulting in not only noisy neighbors but sometimes dangerous ones.

“There was a violent confrontation right in front of our house here with gunfire taking place 30 feet from our bedroom window,” Jackson continued.

Jackson believes people within a community should have more say on who they call “neighbor.”

“These are not neighbors who are concerned about the peace and quiet of a neighborhood. They’re not here to build community. They’re not here to get to know you. They’re here to make a profit,” said Jackson.

There will be a hearing on June 17 against the owners of the 205 Lake Road residence regarding the deed restrictions that prohibit short-term rentals in Pocono Manor and to determine if they are valid.

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