Lathrop Residents Demand Short-Term Rental Restrictions

Forest Park neighbors call for new rules after noise, trash, and safety concerns at a local Airbnb property.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 5:06pm

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a residential street at night, with blurred streetlights and the faint silhouettes of houses in the background, conveying a sense of tranquility disrupted and an underlying tension.As short-term rentals proliferate in residential neighborhoods, concerns over noise, safety, and community character are testing the limits of property rights and local control.Forest Park Today

Residents on the 900 block of Lathrop Avenue in Forest Park are asking the village council to create new regulations for short-term rental properties, citing issues with noise, trash, parking, and safety at a rental property on their street. The property owner says the restrictions would negatively impact his business, while the village has no current policies regarding short-term rentals.

Why it matters

This story highlights the growing tensions between short-term rental operators and local residents in residential neighborhoods, as communities grapple with balancing property rights, business interests, and quality of life concerns. The debate over how to regulate the short-term rental industry is playing out in cities and towns across the country.

The details

Neighbors say a rental property at 905 Lathrop Ave. has become a "revolving door" for large groups of guests who bring excessive noise, loitering, and overnight parking issues. Residents have called the police multiple times over disturbances, and one neighbor found a cannabis vape in a rented bounce house. The property owner, Mike Utomi, says he manages the rental responsibly and that the restrictions proposed would negatively impact his business.

  • Since last year, the 905 Lathrop Ave. rental property has been a source of issues for neighbors.
  • On March 23, 2026, residents voiced their concerns at a village council meeting.
  • From January 2021 to April 2026, there has been one incident report and 10 law enforcement calls to the 905 Lathrop address.

The players

Samantha Treadman Blaga

A Forest Park resident since 2018 who lives on the 900 block of Lathrop Avenue and has raised concerns about the short-term rental property.

Sarah Cutsforth

A Lathrop Avenue resident who has called the police multiple times about disturbances at the short-term rental property, including finding a cannabis vape in a rented bounce house.

Mike Utomi

The owner of the 905 Lathrop Ave. short-term rental property since October 2024, who says the proposed restrictions would negatively impact his business.

Steve Glinke

The head of the Forest Park building department, who says there is currently no policy regarding short-term rentals in the village code.

Ken Gross

The Forest Park police chief, who said the department will monitor the 905 Lathrop property and enforce parking ordinances as needed.

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What they’re saying

“My daughter was the one that found the device that they dropped. It caused us to open up a conversation about drugs with my then-8-year-old. ... They are not residents. They don't pay taxes. They just don't care.”

— Sarah Cutsforth, Lathrop resident

“I operate my business on a short-term rental. That's what ensures that I can pay the mortgage, my cleaners, the partial assistance I have, as well as pay taxes in the community.”

— Mike Utomi, Owner of 905 Lathrop Ave. short-term rental

“Our streets look and feel like a vacation destination, not a residential neighborhood. Every single week, the neighbors and I are on edge. We do not know who is coming. We do not know how many people. Short term rentals like this do not belong in residential neighborhoods. They turn family homes into unregulated hotels.”

— Samantha Treadman Blaga, Lathrop Avenue resident

What’s next

The next step would be for the Forest Park village council to direct the village administrator to work with the building department to proceed with amending the code to include new regulations for short-term rental properties, which would then go through a public hearing process with the Planning and Zoning Commission before an official council vote.

The takeaway

This dispute over a short-term rental property on Lathrop Avenue highlights the growing tensions between property owners, residents, and local governments as communities grapple with how to balance the interests of the short-term rental industry with the quality of life concerns of neighborhoods.