The city of Richardson is considering stricter regulations on short-term rentals after receiving push back from residents.
At a city work session on March 2, council members were presented with seven ordinance amendments that will be voted on during a future council meeting. They include clarifying the definition of "owner” to identify responsible parties, requiring a copy of the current registration certificate to be displayed at a property, and adding grounds for revoking permits.
Richardson is the latest North Texas city to look to tighten measures on short-term rentals, or STRs, like those on Airbnb and VRBO. Nearby Lewisville, Plano and Garland have enacted their own restrictions in recent years.
Richardson resident Ellen Beamer told council members she does not want any more STRs in her Spring Park Meadows neighborhood of 86 homes. Currently there are four, she said.
“We're not happy about the number we already have,” Beamer said. “We want you to toughen up city requirements and make STR business owners pay more and work hard to maintain their properties and monitor their renters. We're counting on you to make us, Richardson homeowners, the priority, not businesses that are ruining our quality of life and threatening our property values.”
There are 92 single-family properties registered as STRs in Richardson, and 43 pending registrations, according to city staff.
Under current policy, STRs must be registered with the city. Owners must pay a $100 annual fee and show the floor plan and location of fire safety equipment.
The city has authority to conduct interior inspections of short-term rentals if requested and approved by property owners or tenants or a search warrant is obtained, said Lindsay Turman, director of community services.
Inspections can also be by the city for “severe and/or repeated violations of any part of the proposed ordinance or other applicable laws.”
The most common complaints city staff receive regarding STRs are noise, trash and traffic.
Richardson Police Chief Gary Tittle said there were fewer disturbance calls at STRs last year. There were 38 calls for service at 26 properties in 2025, down from78 calls at 46properties, he told council members.
Mayor Amir Omar said with the FIFA Men’s World Cup “right around the corner,” he wants the city to look into additional regulations but cautioned a full moratorium could put Richardson at legal risk.
“I imagine that a lot [of] people would get sucked into the opportunity to be able to rent their home out for $2,000 a night or whatever the number ends up being,” he said. “It would be really good to know that, hey, this other thing might be an avenue that could help us make sure that we don't have neighborhoods that go 50% short-term rental, especially during FIFA, right, or whatever the scenario is.”
Dallas is currently in a years-long legal battle over two ordinances banning STRs in some parts of the city. City leaders in October asked the state Supreme Court to lift a block on its STR bans ahead of the World Cup.
“We as a city are trying to be as conservative as possible from the standpoint of getting ourselves sued because lawsuits are incredibly expensive,” Omar said. “But we also are trying to do our best to be as aggressive as we can without getting sued, and so just understand, please, that there is a bit of a balance going on."
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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