Short-term rentals zoned out of Dallas single family neighborhoods

After nearly 4 years of community debate over short term rental homes the Dallas City Council imposed zoning restrictions to remove them from single family neighborhoods.

As a compromise STR's will still be allowed in commercial areas and multi-family neighborhoods.

The final vote was 12 to 3 after a push to grandfather existing single family neighborhood STR's that are already paying hotel taxes was defeated in a closer 7 to 8 vote.

Regulations for remaining STR's were also approved to take effect in December.

The enforcement delay allows short term rental operators time to wind down and city code enforcement time to gear up.

A divided, passionate crowd of people on both sides went to Dallas City Hall Wednesday hoping their side would be the winner.

The city council public speakers list had 60 names of people seeking to share their opinion.

Public hearings typically begin at 1pm but due to a very long Wednesday agenda the STR speakers did not begin until after 6:30pm. The final vote was around 11:30pm after city council discussion.

It was the final voting meeting for two members who are term limited from remaining in office.

Dallas city staff threw a curve ball into the debate in the final week by issuing a formal recommendation contrary to what the Dallas Plan Commission recommended last year.

Olive Talley was a leader of the short-term rental opposition.

“We are looking to save homes and housing and neighborhoods,” Talley said.

Lisa Sievers is a short-term rental host.

“We have zero 311 calls, zero 911 calls and we don’t allow any parties at our short-term rentals,” Sievers said.

City officials said the vast majority of known short term rentals generate no city complaints. But, gunfire and wild parties at some have attracted strong neighbor concerns.

Opponents insist short-term rentals take needed housing from long-term rental tenants.

The plan endorsed by the Dallas Plan Commission was to declare short-term rentals as “lodging,” which is forbidden in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes.

That's what the city council ultimately adopted with an exception added Wednesday for multi-family areas. More than 1,000 of known STR's may now be forced to stop operating.

“We are saying we don’t want lodging business, hotels, to be operating in areas that are zoned for residential purposes,” Talley said.

With the Dallas City Council set to vote this week, city staff formally recommended against the zoning approach, preferring to allow STRs everywhere, but imposing regulations that could forbid them in some places and add tougher rules that Dallas never had.

An annual fee of $248 per short-term rental would be added to help pay for additional code enforcement that has not been available for short-term rental issues.

“This is all paid by the short-term rental people, OK? Money to fund the extra enforcement officers, who work nights and weekends, which is when these kinds of issues happen,” Sievers said.

Short-term rental speakers thought they would be heard starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday but they were still waiting for their issue to be heard at 6 p.m. in a very long Dallas City Council Agenda meeting.

The registration fees will still be collected from remaining STR's and the new regulations added, but with fewer remaining, the program will raise less enforcement money.

A requirement of one off street parking space per short term rental bedroom was also added.

Additional details for regulations are to be worked out later including how many will be allowed in multi-family areas.

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