Critics say the legislature already has enough information on short-term rentals and a study would delay a decision on an issue that impacts cities statewide.
Short-term rentals have appeared on city council agendas across Texas. Plano is creating its own taskforce to look into the issue and provide recommendations. Dallas has a proposed ordinance on the table. The ordinance would limit short-term rentals to mixed zoning areas and require owners to register their properties with the city.
Several Texans testified for over an hour at the House Land and Resource Management committee hearing on House Bill 2665. The bill would create a taskforce to study short-term rentals and share the results with the legislature during the next session. It was left pending in the committee on Wednesday.
Dallas city Council Member Adam Bazaldua testified against the bill. He said it would lead to legislation that would limit local control.
“The end goal of its findings have already been established,” he said. “It will be biased against municipal governments abilities to function in the best interest of their residents. It could cost cities millions.”
Representative Gary Gates filed House Bill 2665 in February. The original bill would have prevented municipalities from banning short-term rentals while allowing for other regulations, including registration requirements. But the committee on Land and Resource Management filed a substitute bill to study the issue instead.
Gates said banning short-term rentals violates property rights.
“This has resulted in a patchwork of ordinances around the state, causing confusion that desperately needs direction from state on an important property rights issue,” he said.
Members of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition, which calls for banning short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods, also testified during the committee hearing. The group was against the original bill but testified neutrally on the substitute.
David Schwarte from Arlington, one of the co-founders of the coalition, cautioned that the taskforce should have adequate representation of neighborhood stakeholders like himself. But he also said a study isn’t necessary because existing studies already show the harm of short-term rentals.
“It’ll be expensive,” Schwarte said. “It’ll be time consuming.”
Coalition members have testified against other short-term rental bills in the same House committee, decrying “Dallas sex dungeons” and other harmful effects of short-term rentals.
Sharon Walker owns a vacation home management company in Austin. She said much of that testimony is fearmongering.
“How much of it is fear and how much of it is fact?” Walker said. “Because the facts that we've presented, certainly here in Austin, do not support the fear that exists.”
Walker and other short-term rental supporters testified that cities have been too restrictive with their ordinances, violating their property rights. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton supports this view and has filed arguments on behalf of short-term rental owners in past litigation.
Gates, who has 13 children, said his family relies on short-term rentals when they travel. He said there are two sides to the issue, which is why he wants to conduct a study.
“All we want to do with this bill is just do a study,” Gates said. “And then after that study, we can listen to both sides of the story.”
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
Caroline Love is a Report For Americacorps member for KERA News.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gifttoday. Thank you.
