Over the past year in Ohio, the pattern has been hard to ignore. A packed Airbnb party in Bath Township near Akron ended with an 18-year-old dead and nine others wounded. In Parma, a 16-year-old was killed at a party inside a short-term rental. In east Columbus, a 17-year-old died after gunfire erupted at a Fourth of July weekend gathering.

Different cities. Same outcome. All in one year.

Those cases prompted Signal Cleveland and its statewide newsroom to dig deeper. Their reporting identified at least 26 shootings tied to house parties at short-term rentals across Ohio since 2017, based on police reports, court records, and media accounts. At least 14 people were killed and 47 others injured, with victims most often teenagers or young adults. Nearly all of the shootings occurred at Airbnbs, according to Signal Cleveland.

The reporting also found that many of the homes involved were owned by out-of-town investors or held by trusts, making it difficult for police to quickly reach property owners during emergencies. Airbnb says it bans disruptive parties and uses “anti-party technology,” but declined to provide Ohio-specific data on violent incidents.

Cities have tried to rein in the problem. Some require permits, local contacts, or neighbor notifications. Others have gone further, temporarily or permanently banning short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods.

Now, those local rules may be at risk.

As Signal Cleveland reported, legislation introduced by Republican Sen. Andrew Brenner would limit how much authority cities have to regulate short-term rentals. Senate Bill 104 would block bans, cap permit fees well below current levels, and prevent cities from restricting how many rentals one owner can operate.

City leaders across Ohio argue the bill would make it harder to prevent the kinds of large, unsupervised parties that have already turned deadly. Several mayors have pointed to shootings and massive gatherings at short-term rentals as evidence that local oversight is necessary. The nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission has warned the bill could conflict with Ohio’s constitutional home-rule protections.

For now, the violence continues, and the debate plays out at the Statehouse. As Signal Cleveland’s reporting makes clear, the issue isn’t just about short-term rentals, it’s about public safety, accountability, and who gets to decide what happens in Ohio’s neighborhoods.