Is Airbnb About to Get Banned From The Park Cities? UP Zoning Committee Discuss Limiting Short Term Rentals

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Air BNB Daniel Ave

 

The University Park City Council is considering limiting short-term rentals in single-family neighborhoods, says the one and only Dan Koller of Park Cities People. Interesting topic to see at the end of a City Council agenda, and one that might address the growing trend of unregulated room rentals from websites such as Airbnb.

The staff report filed by assistant city manager Robbie Corder categorizes a short-term rental as typically less than seven days and is associated with a vacation, business trip, or special event. As it is written, University Park’s comprehensive zoning ordinance doesn’t address these types of rentals, “therefore, property owners have the ability to rent property for any length of time,” Corder said.

From the report:

Staff has been contacted by residents expressing concerns with properties that lease on a short-term basis. These residents have requested the City Council consider regulations to specifically address short-term rentals in single-family zoned districts. Staff believes there are currently no regulations in place that would allow successful enforcement against short-term rentals; consequently, an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance will be necessary if the Council desires to regulate short-term rentals in single-family districts.

From a quick search of airbnb.com for the 75205 zip code, I found two rentals in University Park, including the one above on Daniel Avenue, which has 17 guest reviews from people who’ve rented the one-bedroom, one-bath apartment. There’s another rental available just north of the George Bush Presidential Center on Dyer Street, with only one review for the private bed and bath. In Highland Park there’s a guesthouse on Abbott Avenue with two bedrooms and one bath that has 94 reviews as well.

Honestly, this sounds a lot like the Uber/Yellow Cab fiasco that Dallas City Hall just addressed. On the one hand is a app-enabled, unregulated website and on the other are hotels that pay taxes and fees out the nose. The council approved staff’s recommendation to refer the issue to the Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee, so it will be a while before we hear the end of this.

Do you think short-term rentals should be regulated?

 

Joanna England is the Executive Editor at CandysDirt.com and covers the North Texas housing market.

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