Brighton and Hove City Council has set up a cross-party panel to look into the issue of the "party houses".
There are about 300 in the city, with concerns about the problems they cause most evident in the Queen's Park area.
Chair of the panel Geoffrey Bowden said: "We don't want to be killjoys... but there are responsibilities."
The councillor said the properties were houses "which sit cheek by jowl with families which live there all the time".
"There are some really superb operators, and they do certainly take care
"We need to bottom-out whether these are businesses or not, because if they are businesses then they should be paying business rates, and they should be paying for commercial waste to be taken away," Mr Bowden said.
The panel plans to gather evidence from as many people as possible, including the owners of "party houses", before reporting back to the full council.
Mr Bowden said:  "People having a decadent weekend is one thing, but if you live next door and have to get up for work in the morning you might take a more hardline approach."

A large wooden structure at Venture in Caia Park was destroyed by the blaze, which broke out at about 03:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The main building was not affected and was operating as normal.
North Wales Police and North Wales Fire Service are jointly investigating but the cause is unknown.

Wanderers parted company with Neil Lennon after former player Dean Holdsworth's company completed a takeover of the Championship side.
Brown made more than 250 appearances for Bolton before serving as assistant manager for over six years.
"I have had no approach from Dean Holdsworth," he told BBC Essex.
"I have sat the players down this morning. We have spoken about the speculation and newspaper headlines, which inevitably you have to print.
"Speculation can take our players and my eye of the ball and that's the last thing that you need at this stage of the season."
The Shrimpers, who were promoted via the play-offs last season, are four points off the League One play-off places with 10 matches remaining.
"We are involved in winning football games and on Saturday we need 100% focus from myself, the management team, the players and the supporters," Brown added.
"If the supporters think there is a manager standing on the sidelines that will not be there in a week or two, you won't get the same level of support.
"We need it at this moment in time. It is so important that we get back-to-back promotions and get the status of a Championship side."
Houses let out to groups for stag and hen weekends are to be the subject of a council investigation amid complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
An investigation has been launched following a fire in the grounds of a youth centre in Wrexham.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
Southend boss Phil Brown has said he will not be taking his "eye off the ball" despite speculation linking him with his former club Bolton.