Beginning next month, the city of Richardson will temporarily restrict new short-term rental registrations.
The 90-day prohibition is to give the city time to evaluate concerns raised by residents in recent months, including disruptive gatherings, parking and other safety issues.
The city council voted on the new ordinance unanimously at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The pause blocks new registrations in residential districts from May 27 through August 25.
The new ordinance will not shut down existing rentals and will allow a grace period of 30 days prior to the effective date of the temporary ban for existing STRs to register with the city.
STR owners have to register their property annually, and part of the plan includes a $500 per day penalty for operating without a permit.
“A lot of the ones that are causing problems are the ones that aren't registered,” council member Dan Barrios said at an April 20 work session. “This will help us kind of get a handle and look at things.”
The plan includes conducting a study regarding distance to prevent clusters of STRs.
The city had been considering stricter regulations on short-term rentals recently after receiving pushback from residents. The city plans to do community outreach and analyze data from new software that will be implemented in the summer. Staff will present the information to council members in the fall.
"I think that adopting this prohibition, you know, it allows us to look forward and adopt responsible regulations that respect property rights while also being responsive to all the residents that have come to us with concerns,” council member Joe Corcoran said at the work session. “This seems like a very mature, responsible way for us to move forward.”
The last time the city council discussed the issue was during a March 2 work session, when council members were presented with the annual briefing on STRs.
Richardson is the latest North Texas city to tighten measures on short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO.
Lewisville, Plano and Garland have restricted STRs in recent years, and Dallas has been in a years-long legal battle over two ordinances banning certain STRs.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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