Plano Short Term Rental Battle Heats Up

The battle over short-term rental homes in single-family neighborhoods is raging across North Texas.

Plano residents upset over short term rentals in their neighborhood spoke for more than an hour at Monday's city council meeting.

One by one neighbors took to the podium to tell council members about their experiences with loud parties, congested streets, trash and crime.

The September raid on a short-term rental home being used as a brothel added extra ammunition for opponents.

“These transients who come and go from a house, we don't know who they are, so that provides great cover for criminal activity,” opponent Greg Pattillo told NBC5 before the meeting.

Monday night's meeting began with a presentation from an outside firm hired to brief the council on current case law and potential options.

Their presentation showed for most municipalities it's been trial and error, stating courts have often ruled in favor of short term rentals citing property rights.

However, they noted the city of Arlington had been successful so far in requiring STRs to register and limit where they can operate.

After listening to an hour of public comments, Plano council members returned from executive sessions and said city staff will be reviewing options related to registering STRs and zoning.

“It’s very important we come up with solutions very quickly," said Mayor Jon Muns.

On September 23, Dallas police said they executed a search warrant with assistance from Plano Police at a short-term rental house on Las Palmas Lane after discovering a sex trafficking ring operating in North Dallas had moved to the Plano location.

Two women were arrested. Several others who may have been held there against their will were questioned and released.

Neighbors at the house said they had seen an increase in vehicle traffic at the location in the days before the raid but only discovered the reason for all that traffic from police after the raid.

Bill France, a leader of the Plano short-term rental opposition said situations like that are not what homeowners want in single-family neighborhoods.

“Without intent, we can harbor criminals and that is not what we signed up for when we moved here 25 years ago,” he said.

The Plano home used for prostitution was listed on Airbnb but the company said the site was not used for booking the illegal activity.

In response to a request for comment about the short-term rental issue in Plano, the company provided an email statement Monday from public policy manager Luis Briones.

“The overwhelming majority of Hosts on Airbnb are responsible neighbors who rely on home sharing to supplement their income amid the rising cost of living, and to welcome guests who support local small businesses. Airbnb supports reasonable regulations that address community concerns, protect property rights, and preserve the benefits short-term rentals provide to residents and the broader state economy,” the statement said.

Airbnb also Monday announced new policies to help combat Halloween party houses.

The Plano critics oppose regulation and permitting options because they preclude banning short-term rentals later. 

“The courts have said once you give someone a permit you can't take it back,” France said.

Many opponents want short-term rentals banned in single-family neighborhoods as improper business use.

Some cities collect hotel taxes from the homes but Pattillo said communities end up losing money from families with kids going to school that would have lived in those houses.

Pattillo said Plano has more than 500 short-term rental homes.

“And you look at the basic allotment calculation, you’re looking at a little over $1.5 million just in loss of school funding,” Pattillo said. He said cities also have other expenses from short-term rentals.

Dallas and Fort Worth are also considering new short-term rental regulations.