# Shawnee, Kansas finds an unconventional (and stupid) way to battle the rising cost of rent **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 2, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783 "2022-05-02T03:04:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/1 "2022-05-02T03:04:53Z")
Ban roommate situations! > **[A Kansas city voted unanimously to ban co-living rentals, effectively making...](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-kansas-city-voted-unanimously-to-ban-co-living-rentals-effectively-making-roommates-illegal-in-some-zoning-districts/ar-AAWO43h?bk=1&ocid=msedgntp&cvid=b99015e6baf64d60b4d8eabc606ce987)** > > The Shawnee City Council in Kansas voted to ban co-living, a practice that has helped people split rent as rental and housing prices climb. What the hell are they thinking? Is this some kinda stupid religious thing or something? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/2 "2022-05-02T03:13:13Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > What the hell are they thinking? Is this some kinda stupid religious thing or something? I’m guessing rich white NIMBY types who think their property values are going to go down if certain folk are able to afford to live in the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/3 "2022-05-02T04:16:43Z")
Think of Shawnee as the, uh, Pawnee, Indiana of Kansas. They have a pretty nice [Parks & Rec](https://www.cityofshawnee.org/departments/parks_recreation) department, though. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/4 "2022-05-02T04:50:11Z")
It sounds like a zoning issue. There can be different regulations for single-family vs multi-family housing. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/5 "2022-05-02T05:28:26Z")
I remember these kinds of rules occasionally being an issue before same-sex marriage was legal. This rule only applies to households with four adults, but in other cities, an unmarried couple with kids might be too large to qualify as a “single family,” and while those rules were theoretically neutral as to the sexual orientation of the residents, (A) same-sex couples often seemed to attract more scrutiny and (B) there was no remedy for same-sex couples. > [@ekedolphin](#): > > What the hell are they thinking? They don’t want ghastly poor people living in their city. And what if it causes _traffic_ or _parking_ problems? 😱 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/6 "2022-05-02T05:51:23Z")
I’d like to know how they think they’re going to enforce this. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/7 "2022-05-02T05:54:13Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > They don’t want ghastly poor people living in their city. And what if it causes _traffic_ or _parking_ problems? Yeah, the NIMBY morons in Saugus CA shouted down a _Library_ for similar reasons. Oh, and homeless use the library. 😱 ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/8 "2022-05-02T06:47:17Z")
FWIW, in the UK we have licensing schemes for “multi-occupancy housing”, and some local authorities do use them quite pro-actively to control overcrowding and poor management by the landlord. But the [definition is primarily based on defining a “household” and what amenities are shared](https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/houses-in-multiple-occupation#:~:text=Your%20home%20is%20a%20house,kitchen%20facilities%20with%20other%20tenants), rather than moralising about relationships. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/9 "2022-05-02T06:59:34Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I’d like to know how they think they’re going to enforce this.   Nosy busybody neighbors will complain, which they are already doing. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/10 "2022-05-02T08:20:47Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > What the hell are they thinking? Is this some kinda stupid religious thing or something? My guess is the rich attempting to extract blood out of turnips maximum profits from the less wealthy. Also: > [@Smapti](#): > > rich white NIMBY types who think their property values are going to go down if certain folk are able to afford to live in the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/11 "2022-05-02T10:10:38Z")
What are the odds there are a couple of landlords on the city council? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/12 "2022-05-02T10:20:43Z")
That would appear to be 0: [https://cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/portal/members.aspx?id=10](https://cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/portal/members.aspx?id=10) My dad actually used to be on the Shawnee Planning Commission, which is where this regulation likely began. I haven’t heard of that particular living situation before, but from the article, it sounds like it would require a particular building layout, and you could likely regulate it through the permits system. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/13 "2022-05-02T10:29:52Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > That would appear to be 0: All right, I scrolled through, and I’m not convinced either way. Many people who own and rent property don’t do it as their full-time primary vocation. I know this, because I did it myself for a while. But in that kind of a biographical paragraph, I would have been described at the time as “a senior technology consultant to e-commerce businesses,” and my landlord sideline wouldn’t have been worth a mention. There are enough wealthy people in that list (dentist, executive, etc.) that I can easily see them owning an apartment building or a few rental houses for the extra income, while most of their attention remains on their primary job. That’s how it was for me, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/14 "2022-05-02T10:49:53Z")
Could be. But I don’t see how the proposed rule would benefit someone with a rental unit or two. In fact, if they were looking to expand, it would actively hurt them. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/15 "2022-05-02T11:40:55Z")
It is entirely unclear to me what problem this ordinance is attempting to solve? Who’s ox is being gored when two unmarried couples share a house, and who is relieved (in a legal sense) when they aren’t? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/16 "2022-05-02T11:58:48Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > It is entirely unclear to me what problem this ordinance is attempting to solve? The idea that multi-family housing leads to undesirable outcomes for its neighbors, such as overcrowded streets, overtaxed services, or the presence of people with undesirable behavior patterns, is **extremely** common in the USA. This particular form of legislation seems to be especially intrusive into people’s private lives, but there are tens of thousands of locales throughout the country that have other types of ordinances designed to have the same effect. Single-family zoning, setbacks, minimum acreage, mandatory off-street parking, etc. College towns often have similar ordinances to this one, to stop students from living outside of their designated area. > [@Cervaise](#): > > What are the odds there are a couple of landlords on the city council? The council has probably been hearing from residents absolutely _seething_ about this situation for years now. Constant bitching about That House Across The Street with eight cars and a two-car driveway, home to a constantly-rotating cast of young adults who aren’t quiet family types, and now the city has finally Done Something about it. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/17 "2022-05-02T13:09:24Z")
After college I and three other guys rented rooms in a 4 bedroom house. I presume that would be illegal under this law. smh ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/18 "2022-05-02T13:21:42Z")
No. This article better explains what they are trying to limit/eliminate: > **[A Kansas city voted unanimously to ban co-living rentals, effectively making...](https://www.businessinsider.com/kansas-city-unanimously-ban-co-living-rental-units-roommates-illegal-2022-5)** > > The Shawnee City Council in Kansas voted to ban co-living, a practice that has helped people split rent as rental and housing prices climb. > In this arrangement, individual tenants have leases of varying lengths, have separate secured access to their rooms, and often do not know or have relationships with the others who are also occupying the same single family dwelling," the memo continued, saying the rental arrangements are "not typical of common rental uses in single family districts that are occupied by family units. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/19 "2022-05-02T13:26:02Z")
Cad’s situation may have been in violation. For many roommate situations there are not separate lease arrangements, or secure entries. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783/20 "2022-05-02T13:36:13Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > After college I and three other guys rented rooms in a 4 bedroom house. I presume that would be illegal under this law. smh Lots of college towns already ban that. [Evanston, Illinois](https://evanstonnow.com/three-unrelated-rule-is-a-barrier-to-housing-affordability/) for example. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawnee-kansas-finds-an-unconventional-and-stupid-way-to-battle-the-rising-cost-of-rent/963783.md?page=2)