DRAPER, Utah (ABC4) — A resident who lives next door to an Airbnb is pushing for the City Council to do more to regulate short-term rentals after guests allegedly set fire to the porch.

Nick Porter and his wife, Jen, live next door to an Airbnb, and at around 6:50 on the morning of March 24, there was a fire on the Airbnb’s porch.

Firefighters and the police department responded, and the fire turned out to be rather minor, all things considered. However, Nick remains concerned and wants the city to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Police investigating assault at sober event that sent woman to the hospital with broken bones

“When an investor buys a home in a residential neighborhood and runs it as a full-time rental business with no on-site management, the neighbors become the unpaid complaint department,” Nick told ABC4.com. “We are the ones documenting noise, calling police, and dealing with strangers coming and going. The fire next door made it personal. Our safety is now directly affected by someone else’s business that they operate remotely with little accountability or oversight.”

According to Draper Police Captain Pat Evans, the property in question is within the approved Airbnb zone of Draper. A small fire was lit on the porch, which triggered the fire sprinkler but caused no permanent damage. He noted that the marks could likely be removed by a power washer.

Reportedly, the people staying in the Airbnb were “uncooperative,” and they had a history of drug use, according to Evans. He said that they may face a reckless burning charge.

How to make ABC4 your preferred news source on Google

According to Nick, an arson-detection dog was also brought to the scene, and it alerted to the presence of an accelerant.

This specific property has garnered six complaints from the neighborhood, according to Evans. Nick said he is addressing this with Draper City Council to require short-term rentals to be owner-occupied, and he’s been encouraging others to contact the city council as well.

“No council would approve a hotel with no front desk, no on-site manager, and a phone number as its entire accountability plan,” he said. “That is exactly how non-owner-occupied [short-term rentals] operate today. An owner-occupancy requirement lets residents rent a room or guest suite while preventing homes from being converted into unmanaged commercial operations. Other cities in Utah have already done this. Draper should, too.”

He also said they’ve had multiple incidents in which guests from the Airbnb have attempted to enter their home, which he said was probably an accident. He also said that guests frequently smoke cigarettes, exposing Nick and his wife to secondhand smoke.

Mammoth score six straight goals to beat Seattle

How can you track your water usage this summer?

Utah defense navigating change during spring camp

Iron County Commission discusses data center proposal

Zion National Park officials speak on success of park-and-ride service

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.