At a Tuesday meeting of the Dallas City Council’s Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee, members argued over recent recommendations made by a task force that would better monitor rentals in short term like Airbnb and Vrbo.
Among the recommendations:
- Require all short-term rentals to register.
- Limitation of occupancy to STRs.
- Require STR owners to give house guests and neighbors within 100 feet an emergency number.
- Establish guest parking requirements for STRs in residential neighborhoods.
The committee supported some of the recommendations, but disagreed with others. This is what motivated the decision to involve the whole council.
Council member Paul Ridley wants even more regulation than the proposed task force.
“The specific provisions recommended by the task force are incomplete and will be totally ineffective,” Ridley said.
Ridley wants zoning rules that would limit where STRs can operate.
Council member Omar Narvaez preferred to let the city’s zoning ordinance advisory committee recommend where STRs should be allowed.
For years, owners have complained about security issues, parking congestion, trash, and noise. Dallas short-term rental opponents want zoning to prevent STRs from entering residential neighborhoods.
Short-term rental proponents said they helped provide temporary housing for essential workers during the COVID pandemic and helped add tourist dollars to Dallas’ economy.
The City of Dallas currently requires STRs to register, but officials say not all do. Since last month, more than 1,000 STRs have been registered with the city. Opponents of the STR say it is only about a fifth of the total in Dallas.
Short-term rentals are also expected to pay a tourist tax. But committee members pointed out that only registered STRs pay these taxes — and that the task force’s recommendations do not provide enough accountability and oversight over the registration process.
“The platforms are at the origin of these regulations. We have never allowed an industry to self-regulate,” Narvaez said.
An Airbnb representative said efforts were being made to address concerns from landlords and city officials.
Narvaez and other council members believe the STRs are making the city’s severe shortage of affordable housing worse.
“Affordability is running out in our city. We can’t speak out of both sides of mouth and say we’re going to work on workforce housing inside the city of Dallas and then turn around and say we’re going to allow investors from the STR hotel to buy the little housing we have in the city of Dallas,” Narvaez said.
Committee chair Adam Bazaldua wanted to act on the recommendations.
“Now is the time for the political body to consider what are only recommendations and see what can be implemented now to provide some sort of immediate relief,” he said.
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But the committee couldn’t agree on what bylaws to make and decided to seek input from other city leaders.
“I think more thought needs to be given to this. It’s not anti this or anti that. It’s to solve a problem,” council member Paula Blackmon said.
The full board will now be informed of the task force’s recommendations at a future meeting. Blackmon hopes the board can provide guidance and direction to the committee.
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