Austin City Council holds public hearing on proposed regulations for short-term rentals

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin could put more regulations on short-term rentals (STRs) like AirBnBs and Vrbos.

City Council and the Planning Commission held a public hearing to get feedback. 

What we know:

Current rules for short-term rentals are unenforceable because of the changing legal landscape. 

With the proposals, existing STRs can continue with their license, provided they don't become a nuisance. 

The city has several goals when it comes to regulations, including preserving residential neighborhoods, affordability, and enforcement. 

"It's been part of what council has been concerned about to ensure that individuals who live next to STRs are able to coexist," Patricia Link of the city's law department said during the hearing. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

• Austin considers changes to short-term rental codes
• Austin residents complain of unwanted guests, noise and trash at unlicensed rentals
• Georgetown places new requirements on short term rental properties

The proposal would require a license number to be displayed on the posting for the rental and for platforms to take down listings if not properly licensed.

If someone wants to operate more than one short-term rental, they have to be at least 1,000 feet apart. The program also aims to improve hotel occupancy tax collection for the city. 

There would also be host requirements, including online training, a safety checklist, liability insurance, and a local contact who can respond within two hours. 

By the numbers:

The city says 94 percent of STR-related 311 complaints involved an unlicensed one, which makes it hard for code compliance to focus on nuisance issues.

"Currently, we spend the majority of our time chasing the licenses, effectively playing whack-a-mole trying to locate the properties that are operating that put up an advertisement, then take it down, then put it right back up," Daniel Word, assistant director of the Development Services Department, said.

What they're saying:

Some short-term rental owners weighed in at the hearing. 

"These amendments will funnel our hard-earned dollars to hotels," Roland Robinson said. "This is a job for me. I earn an income from this. This would put me out of business. I read this. This is ridiculous."

Others expressed concern about some of the new requirements.

"I have privacy and safety concerns if that number is on the opening page, I would request that the license number be on the platform and appear at the same time the address appears, which is after you book the residence," Darrell Gest said.

Others spoke about issues with short-term rentals on their street.

"Our neighborhood on the east side is overrun by unstaffed hotels. They're not compatible with our neighborhood, they bring safety issues, violence, potentially sex offenders, noise, traffic," Rose Ballard said.

Michael Whellan with Expedia Group, which owns Vrbo, spoke in support of the proposed changes. 

"A well-regulated market for short-term rentals benefits everyone, the host, travelers, neighbors," he said. "The ordinance presented today contains the core characteristics need to achieve the highest level of compliance and enforcement."

What's next:

The next hearing will be on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Planning Commission meeting. The one following that will be on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. at the City Council meeting.