The Lincoln Township Board of Trustees is reminding residents to lodge a complaint with the township police department when they have an issue with a short-term rental property.

Trustees were told this week correspondence has been received from a neighbor of property on South Donna Drive who had problems with noise. Trustee Marc Florian noted the township STR ordinance covers procedures for dealing with such complaints that include citations, and ultimately, the loss of the STR license.

Township Manager Ralph Bansen told us this is something the police department is used to.

“That’s not a new problem,” Bansen said. “A lot of townships are experiencing those problems. So we’re addressing them as we go along. And like I said, those are rolled up into our rental ordinance. So that’s how we’re addressing them at the moment.”

The key is to call the township police department in such situations.

“They can contact us through our webpage and just let us know that you have a complaint. We’ll address those concerns. The second, they can either email myself or the supervisor, we’ll make sure those items get addressed.”

Trustee Dick Stauffer said some residents don’t seem to know there is an avenue for responding to such issues.

Florian said the owner of a short-term rental can receive a $500 citation for a noise violation. A second violation could lead to another fine and the loss of the license. He also noted STR owners and renters should know what the local expectations are because they each receive a brochure outlining the township rules.