2022 REAL ESTATE EDITION
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Neighborhood Coalition said recogni- tion of short-term rentals in city code should be in alignment with how they are taxed. “The city cannot have it both ways,” Talley said. “The city cannot say [a short-term rental] is a hotel only for collecting [hotel occupancy tax] money and then not de ne it as a hotel.” For roughly ve years, Lisa Sievers has rented out a pool cabana behind her home in the Forest Hills area near Lakewood on a short-term basis. Siev- ers said she has also worked on Dallas task forces related to recommenda- tions on short-term rentals. Sievers said she is supportive of a registration program that holds bad actors accountable for rule-breaking. However, she said short-term rent- als should be allowed anywhere “by right.” “All we need is a decent ordinance and proper code enforcement to enforce it, which is all going to be paid for out of the registration system,” Sievers said. Sievers said she has earned more than 850 ve-star reviews and has met many “wonderful” guests while renting her space. A registration program and more code enforcement o cers who are paid for entirely by short-term rental owners would help tame instances of crime and disturbance, according to Sievers. “Yes, there are some problem prop- erties out there,” she said. “But, like I said, I really feel quite strongly that an ordinance with teeth can address those issues.”
The registration process for short-term rental owners being developed in tandem with zoning restrictions could include the following requirements. REGISTRATION PROCESS • Annual registration, application and fee to cover the program • Requirement of emergency contact • Inspection of short-term rentals upon initial registration or complaints • Homeowner noti cation of nearby rentals • Registration revocation and appeal process
Committees supporting Dallas City Council are re ning potential zoning restrictions and a registration process for short-term rentals.
Dallas City Council and the Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee looked at potential changes to city code. The City Plan Commission reviewed the potential amendments. Dallas City Council will again review the proposed amendments. Dallas City Council will vote to approve or deny code amendments and regulations.
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SOURCE: CITY OF DALLAS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Reining in rentals Dallas has no formal registration process for short-term rentals. Hotel occupancy taxes are being proactively paid for 1,200 active short-term rent- als, according to city data. In an open letter sent to council members on May 4, Briones recom- mended Dallas allow Airbnb to col- lect hotel occupancy tax at point of sale. Airbnb “seamlessly” collects and remits hotel occupancy taxes on behalf of other cities in Texas, accord- ing to the letter. Short-term rental owners would be required to supply a hotel occupancy tax registration number and certi - cate of occupancy, according to the proposed registration process. Man- dating that the owners of short-term rental properties register with the city will help provide accountability and boost the city’s ability to collect hotel occupancy taxes, according to city o cials. “We want to make sure we promote responsible management of [short- term rentals],” said Jeremy Reed, interim assistant director of code compliance for the city. Members of the Dallas
permanent, citing a 44% year-over- year global drop in the rate of party reports, Airbnb spokesperson Lisa Cohen said in an email. “We’ve seen even more success in Texas, where there’s been a 46% year-over-year drop in party reports,” Cohen said. Greg Estell, a Dallas homeowner, is the vice president of the Old Lake Highlands Neighborhood Associa- tion. He said he started to learn about short-term rentals in late 2020 when he rst joined the association’s board. Estell said the association found primarily investors were purchasing a ordable residences then building amenities, such as swimming pools and additional bedrooms, to use the homes as short-term rentals. He said that trend has interfered with his goal to encourage younger families to move into the Old Lake Highlands neighborhood. “I was getting lots of phone calls and mail from residents saying, ‘Hey, Greg, can you help us out? My wife’s upset; the kids can’t sleep. … We wake up in the morning, and we’ve got beer bottles [and] we’ve got people passed out [on] the lawn,’” Estell said.
SOURCE: CITY OF DALLAS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
trash and drugs that stem from short- term rentals. Since October 2020 to May, a total of 112 complaint lings at 69 loca- tions have been received regarding short-term rentals throughout Dallas, according to a presentation given by Andres Espinoza, interim director of code compliance services. In addition, Espinoza said the city has had challenges identifying all short-term rentals in Dallas, adding that there could potentially be around 1,200 unregistered short-term rentals. So, Espinoza said more complaints related to short-term rentals could exist due to not being registered. Airbnb has taken steps to curb unruly behavior in properties booked through its platform. In August 2020, Airbnb announced a temporary ban on all parties and events in all listings. The company announced on June 28 that the party ban would become
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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LAKE HIGHLANDS LAKEWOOD EDITION • JULY 2022
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