Cedar Park Edition | May 2026

BY DANIEL SCHWALM

What the experts say

The impact

Monthly available short-term rental listings The number of short-term rentals in Cedar Park has steadily increased in recent years.

The impact of short-term rentals on the permanent housing market is a persistent concern for local leaders in cities like Austin, but economists say the same is not necessarily true in Cedar Park. Caitlin Gorback, an economist at The University of Texas, said that research into the impacts of short-term rentals on suburbs is scarce. Most of the research on short-term rentals looks at big cities, where tourism is heavy and there’s already a shortage of available housing, Gorback explained. “In those markets, short-term rentals can attract tourists at the expense of displacing long- term residents,” she said in an email. “Whether those ndings translate to Cedar Park is less clear.” Gallagher said housing units that are rented out on a short-term basis often would not become part of the long-term housing supply if they were not short-term rentals. He said 50% of the short-term rentals in Cedar Park are not on

The city has previously received complaints about short-term rentals, including noise, crowds and parking in the street, Director of Development Services Amy Link said. With a registration system in place, enforcement of noise ordinances and zoning compliance becomes more e˜ective, o™cials said. “I think this is a great step,” council member Eric Boyce said. “It gives us data and gives us a more comprehensive view of actually what’s going on.” The broader visibility into short-term rentals is already being re›ected in how some residents view their impact. Cedar Park resident Sean Chambers said a nearby property improved after becoming a short- term rental, shifting from a neglected yard to one that now sees regular upkeep. “Ironically, it actually improved the curb appeal of the neighborhood,” Chambers said.

Available listings

+39.4%

150 200 250 300 0

2023

2024

2025

2026

SOURCE: AIRDNA‰COMMUNITY IMPACT

the rental market year-round. “A lot of times people will have second homes, and they’ll rent it out for a portion of the year, but then use the home for another portion of the year,” Gallagher said.

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CEDAR PARK EDITION

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