After months of debate, Dallas City Council outlaws most Airbnb and other short-term rental properties operating in the city.
Lisa Sievers has a short-term rental unit that will be affected by the Dallas residential neighborhood ban.It’s not often Dallas City Hall is rockin’ at midnight, but June 14 wasn’t just any night — certainly not for the dozens of people who had been waiting literally all day and night for a decision to be made.
On a Saturday night earlier this month a party was underway in Northwest Dallas, and it was absolutely raging. Pot smoke wafted, music blared, scattered revelers danced while others strolled and hollered up and down both sides of the street. Some partiers poured liquor from bottles into fellow partiers’ mouths.
She’s among those who say that short-term rentals are lodging and should be restricted to areas zoned for “lodging use,” which would also mean they cannot operate in residential neighborhoods. Houston, San Antonio and Austin each have varying degrees of similar regulation in place, but nothing resembling the restrictions Dallas now offers. That’s not to suggest those cities haven’t had their share of party house problems, because they certainly have. During the recently completed Legislative session, House Bill 2665, aimed to limit local government’s power to regulate short-term rentals, made some progress before being tabled.
Short-term rental proponents have advocated for giving at least some regulation a shot before completely closing down residential rentals. They say that they provide value to the community by employing people to help maintain the properties and by sending guests to local outlets for food, supplies and recreation. And as home- and business-owners, they believe their rights are being violated by a ban.
“The number of 911 calls, the number of 311 calls, the number of shootings, these types of incidents happening with STRs are certainly the reason why we are trying to stand strong on zoning,” she said before the June 14 vote. “If every STR in the city was an angel and there were no problems, we wouldn’t be having this fight.”
But many rental opponents say that party houses aren’t the only reason they want the rentals barred from residential neighborhoods. They say short-term rentals decrease the amount of affordable housing in a city and might lower the property value of the homes around them. In December, the City Plan Commission recommended the city define short-term rentals as “lodging use,” a move that would facilitate the de facto ban in residential neighborhoods where hotels are prohibited. A presentation on the recommendation noted that “Appx. 95% of properties operating as STRs and paying HOT are within Residential zoned areas” and “these properties will be in violation for illegal land use upon effective date of the ordinance.
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