Once rejected, national builder seeks approval for Lake Norman rental homes
American Homes 4 Rent will seek a rezoning Monday for a 111-home Lake Norman community previously rejected by the Mooresville Planning Board.
Brentwood Phase 5 is proposed for 86 acres along Black Angus Lane. That’s off Faith Road, just east of Mount Mourne near the lake.
At the August Planning Board meeting, residents near the proposed community worried that a road in their subdivision would be used as a cut-through by their new neighbors.
The developer will block that access, town planning staff told the Mooresville Board of Commissioners at a meeting Wednesday where commissioners reviewed items up for a vote Monday.
“What is currently a safe, quiet, residential area would be transitioned into a congested and busy roadway, decreasing the livability of current residents and potentially lowering property values,” neighbor Jessica Terry told the Planning Board.
Neighbor Kristin Hooven said rental homes have “huge turnover” with renters “who won’t respect our speed limit or stop sign.” An American Homes 4 Rent official said its communities offer amenities that keep people living there longer.
The Planning Board voted unanimously against the project. The board is an advisory panel that issues recommendations to the Mooresville Board of Commissioners, which has the final say on rezonings.
On Wednesday, commissioner Eddie Dingler said traffic is so bad on nearby Faith Road “that you can’t get down it now.”
Commissioners are scheduled to consider the rezoning and a request to annex the property at 6 p.m. Monday at Town Hall.
Corporate landlord concerns
Corporate landlords, including American Homes 4 Rent, own about a quarter of all rental homes in Mecklenburg County and tens of thousands of single-family houses across the state, The Charlotte Observer and News & Observer found in a 2022 investigation, Security for Sale.
About 20 corporate landlords own over 25,000 single-family homes in the Charlotte area, according to Action NC, the Observer reported in January. The Federal Trade Commission sought public comment at the time, saying the increase in corporate landlords hurts homeownership rates and impacts costs for renters and prospective home buyers.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 5:30 AM.