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Residential overcrowding is perhaps the most visible problem in many of our communities for the average citizen. Because zoning laws are crafted with the expectation that a homeowner or renter is not deliberately trying to evade zoning ordinances, they are often woefully ineffective when dealing with groups of residents that are deliberately trying to flout the law.
It is not uncommon to find a single family residence crammed with upwards of a dozen day laborers who make themselves a nuisance in the community. The excessive trash, noise, vehicles parked on the street, and too commonly health and safety issues that encroach on neighbors, make this a significant problem in some areas of Culpeper.
If your jurisdiction tends to take the owners word against the constituent complainant about overcrowding, the complainant needs to document the infraction by keeping a log and taking pictures. An additional action that could be taken would be to report the owner to the IRS. If the owner collects the rent each month in cash, it may be that the owner is not reporting the full revenue.