2023 HOME EDITION
Cities like Bellaire and West University Place have their own rules for regulating short-term rentals. Rules for rentals
saying all the right things and mak- ing e orts, is not able to manage it properly, safely,” Hoak said. “That’s why we have all banded together as a neighborhood to just say, this is not good for our city.” The Aungs list the units at Museum Place Apartments for between approximately $70 to $110 per night. Residents have asked them to raise these rates to change the type of cli- entele who rent here. In a series of statements texted to Community Impact , Thawda Aung said his guests are usually seeking treat- ment at the Texas Medical Center, and units are priced with that in mind. “Our guests have reported the reason they book with us [is that] cancer treatment is hard, but it’s even harder without home-cooked meals,” he said. “We felt it was a cen- tral location to continue to service this demographic, and we price our units with this client in mind. Many of these individuals are facing high medical costs.” Thawda Aung denied any illegal activity occurring at his property and said he and his wife “use the strictest
standards for vetting guests.” Hoak said he put up a tempo- rary fence to shield his property from the activity at Museum Place Apartments. “If I just don’t see it, maybe it won’t make me so anxious,” he said. An o cial at Airbnb—the largest provider of STRs in Houston at 67%, according to AirDNA— said the com- pany is doing all it can to prevent these issues citywide. “The vast majority of hosts in Houston are responsible neighbors who share just one home to help supplement their income and make ends meet,” said Luis Briones, a pub- lic policy manager at Airbnb, in an emailed statement to Community Impact . “We look forward to con- tinuing to partner with the city of Houston to address community con- cerns and to ensure hosts are sharing their homes responsibly.” Resolutions for rentals Matt Curtis, the founder of Smart City Policy Group—a policy research and advisory group focused on local governments—said it will be crucial
West University Place • Owners of homes being rented out in residential districts must pay hotel occupancy taxes , and homes in those districts cannot be rented for less than 30 days . • Those renting out homes in nonresidential districts must purchase a rental permit , provide sketches of oor plans and provide proof of insurance , among other requirements.
Bellaire • The city requires a certi cate of occupancy for all occupants prior to the house being leased. • The occupant or the seller/landlord must come to the Development Services O ce and apply for a certi cate . The residential certi cate of occupancy’s application can also be found and lled on a city website.
SOURCES: CITY OF BELLAIRE, CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE COMMUNITY IMPACT
for Houston o cials to understand the trends and data surrounding STRs in the city before moving for- ward with any regulatory changes. Requiring STR operators to register with the city would be a good start, he said. “I think that creating a fair regis- tration program that allows people to gain access to operate STRs is a great place to start because it gives the city the ability to remove the reg- istrant if somebody is proving to be a bad actor and [has] consistent nui- sance issues,” Curtis said.
While the city mulls over a solu- tion, residents of these neigh- borhoods with burgeoning STR properties are stuck in limbo. “It’s a hotel, in a residential neigh- borhood, much less it’s adjacent to the Post Oak School,” Hoak said of Museum Place Apartments. “So, I worry about these kids.” Shawn Arrajj and Melissa Enaje contributed to this report.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
IN MAILBOXES THIS AUGUST EDUCATION EDITION
LOCAL BUSINESSES: CONTACT US FOR ADVERTISING
DIGITAL
DIRECT MAIL
�866� 989�6808 � COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM�ADVERTISE
17
BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • JULY 2023
Powered by FlippingBook