Waterford Township police are investigating a late-night eruption of gunfire at a home being used as a short-term rental.
No one was hurt, said Adam Wright, who owns the house at 3144 Watkins Lake Road. He said the property has been a short-term rental for more than two years and during that time “there’s never been an incident.”
This week, he said, the home was rented to eight guests and no visitors.
“The guests who caused the incident disabled the camera security system,” he said in an email, adding that he is fully cooperating with police.
Waterford Police spokesman Lt. Scott Good said the incident is under investigation and had no further comment.
The gunfire began at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, according to neighbors. Dozens of shots can be heard on a video taken by a nearby resident and shared on social media.
Police were called as two vehicles sped off.
In 2023, Waterford Township trustees approved an ordinance requiring homes rented for 30 days or less to get special approval and a permit, which includes a safety inspection.
The township’s code and zoning ordinances were updated last year to address cases where people rented out a pool house or back yard that were then used for drinking parties, according to Waterford’s director of development services, Jeffrey Polkowski.
The new rules cover hours of operation, noise levels, and other restrictions. The township has had success with most short-term rentals, Polkowski said, because rules make owners accountable.
“It’s the ones that existed before the ordinance was approved that have created some problems,” he said.
The Watkins Lake Road home was registered as a rental in 2022. On March 14, 2023, the township notified Wright it was time for an inspection, under the short-term rental ordinance. When no inspection was scheduled by June, the township notified Wright that the home was in violation of the township’s rental ordinance.
A Sept. 11 inspection found six safety violations. A Nov. 14 reinspection showed all but one, a malfunctioning tub and shower valve, has been corrected. For that reason, Wright’s permit was withheld. A Feb. 9 inspection couldn’t be completed because the inspector couldn’t access the home.
As a result, the rental certificate was put on hold, Polkowski said. Because of that, he said, Wright should not have been accepting rental requests.
Wright said plans to continue renting the house short-term are on hold and the property is being prepared for sale. As of Thursday afternoon, the house was still listed on VRBO.
Pontiac native delves into menopause with YouTube comedy series, ‘Thee Third Act’
Why it’s hard to hire a handyman or contractor; what to do about it
Police say drunk driver caused 3-hour power outage when he crashed into electrical pole
Cops: Vomiting woman told not to drive, she does anyway and ends up arrested for OWI