As the World Cup approaches, hundreds of thousands are preparing to travel to North Texas to take part in the festivities.
On the other hand, some Arlington residents are preparing to dodge the traffic that will inevitably be part of the event Mayor Jim Ross has said is the equivalent of nine Super Bowls.
For anyone looking to list their home as a rental during the World Cup, here’s what you need to know.
Rental terms and permits
Those expecting to instantly list their home in an online rental marketplace will quickly discover obstacles.
In 2019, the Arlington City Council voted to put regulations on where and how short-term rentals can occur in the city.
All short-term rentals require permits, which can be applied for on the Arlington permits website.
There is a nonrefundable $500 fee per permit, which must be renewed annually.
Not all residences are eligible as short-term rentals. In Arlington, only homes in a short-term rental zoning district are eligible to be listed online.
What homes are eligible to receive a short-term rental permit?Homes inside with the following zonings are eligible for a permit:
To check if your home is in one of these zoning districts, click here. |
Once a permit application has been submitted, city staff will review the location to determine its zoning eligibility.
If the permit application is accepted, homeowners will also need to register for the Hotel Occupancy Tax, a 7% tax that has helped the city partially pay for stadiums like AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field.
What happens if you don’t have a permit?
Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann told council members March 10 that city staff will begin using new technology to ensure Arlington rentals are in compliance with the city code.
Currently, the city relies on reports from residents to find out about possible violations.
The city will use software from Granicus, a company that creates digital products for government entities, to track new postings to online rental marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo.
If a rental property is found to not be in compliance, but posted on one of those sites, the system will automatically send a notice of violation to the property owner.
If the rental stays up, the city will move within days to “escalate,” Wichmann said.
“We certainly don’t want people in an unpermitted short-term rental,” Wichmann said. “We’ll be moving quickly.”
Fines for a lack of permits or if a property is not opted into the Hotel Occupancy Tax could go as high as $2,000, according to the city code.
Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@arlingtonreport.org.
