CONTINUED FROM 1
Short-term rental supply Short-term rentals—which operate within a gray area on the local level—are becoming more prevalent in some parts of the Houston area, according to experts such as AirDNA, a website that tracks short-term rental data.
has been determined for if or when a proposed regulation change could return to the Houston City Council for approval. “The city is exploring its legal options up to and including develop- ing regulations for short-term rental properties operating as hotels,” said Billy Rudolph, chief of sta for the O ce of Administrative and Regula- tory A airs. Matt Curtis—the founder of Smart City Policy Group, a policy research and advisory group focused on local governments—said he believes Houston needs to have a considered approach to STRs. “The rst thing cities like Houston need to do is gather data and fully understand the industry,” Curtis said. “Most cities that have attempted to regulate STRs have done so poorly because they are working from anec- dotal and emotional evidence and they are not fully understanding the changing dynamics of the industry Aside from Museum Place, other establishments across Houston tread the ne line between STR and hotel, including Sharpton’s property, Bria Place, being built in Montrose along a residential block at 2308 Dunlavy St., Houston. In December, Sharpton announced the start of his hospitality brand, which is launching with Bria Place, named after his daughter. In April, the city’s Planning Commission approved subdividing Bria Place’s plat of land to help facilitate Sharp- ton’s goal of creating two single-fam- ily homes on the land. In public statements, Sharpton has contradicted himself over his intent for Bria Place to operate solely as an STR site, going back-and-forth on what the property would be used for. In an interview with Community Impact , Sharpton said he wants to be exible and not restrict himself to one use of the property. “The Sharpton will o er a variety of rentals; it won’t only be short- term rentals, but it will also o er mid-term and long-term furnished rentals,” Sharpton said. and traveler trends.” Neighboring conflict Sharpton, who is leaving his ven- tures in the furniture business, said he was inspired to launch The Sharp- ton after various travels with family staying at STRs.
Percent change in total short-term rental listings, April 2022 vs. April 2023
Total short-term rental listings, occupancy rates and housing type breakdown in ve local ZIP codes, as of April
0%-15%
15.1% and higher -0.1% and lower
HOUSING TYPE Houses
726 458 280 267 160 77006 77007 77008 77019 77098 TOTAL LISTINGS 77006 77007 77008 77019 77098 OCCUPANCY RATE 61.7% 55% 56.2% 53.5% 61.6%
Apartments/condos
77008
77006
77007
610
33%
47%
21%
77008
45
10
53%
79%
67%
77007
77098
77019
26%
27%
77019
77006
77098
74%
73%
N
69
SOURCE: AIRDNA COMMUNITY IMPACT
77006 neighborhood, which covers parts of Montrose and Midtown. Some residents living among these STRs have brought their concerns to the city of Houston. After the city’s Regulatory and Neighborhood A airs Committee discussed STRs at a March 23 meet- ing, the two council members head- ing the committee—Chair Sallie Alcorn and Vice Chair Amy Peck— sent a memo to Mayor Sylvester Turner. In it, the council members asked the mayor to look more closely at STRs citywide, speci cally men- tioning the Museum Place Apart- ments, a 24-unit apartment complex in Houston’s Museum District with units listed on STR sites. “Neighbors complained of street takeovers, loud noise, unruly behav- ior, drug use, garbage being left behind, unmanageable parties in the units and at the communal pool, damage to the nearby park, and sus- pected tra cking,” the memo said. “The property has been on Airbnb’s radar given the complaints sub- mitted by neighbors and council members.” The city’s O ce of Administrative and Regulatory A airs is looking into regulation of STRs, city o cials said. As of press time July 6, no timeline
STR vs Hotel The city of Houston has no regulations for properties used as short-term rentals. Some residents have said these properties should be regulated similar to hotels. STR Hotel Properties with 50 rooms or less cannot be built within a 1,000-foot radius of a residential neighborhood.
Properties with between 51 and 75 rooms cannot be built within a 1,500-foot radius of a residential neighborhood. Properties with fewer than 75 units cannot be situated in residential areas unless on a highway’s access road. Must obtain a tra cking certi cate
SOURCES: CITY OF HOUSTON, STATE OF TEXAS COMMUNITY IMPACT
Defining short-term rentals The city of Houston de nes a hotel as any building or buildings in which the public may obtain tran- sient sleeping accommodations and de nes STRs as residential dwellings rented out for less than 30 consecu- tive days. According to data as of April from AirDNA, a software company that tracks STR data, there are 10,050 listings for entire properties in the city of Houston. Of that, there are 1,891 listings in the ve ZIP codes that make up the core of the Heights, River Oaks and Montrose areas— 77006, 77007, 77008, 77019 and 77098. The lion’s share of that, at 726 properties, can be found in the
Houston—which I feel like would be the vast majority of them—should not be allowed to operate under the section of city code,” Ginsburg said. City leaders, including District C Council Member Abbie Kamin, said they are listening to residents’ con- cerns as the city looks at regulating STRs. “Many district residents rent out as an additional (and often needed) source of income. It’s a great eco- nomic booster for our city and it’s that property owner’s right,” Kamin said in a statement texted to Com- munity Impact . “At the same time, we have to have some parameters in place with companies to ensure rent- ers participate safely.”
18
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook