Short-Term Rental Owner Responds to Plan Commission Vote to Ban in Neighborhoods
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All eyes were on the Dallas City Plan Commission this week as the panel voted to define short-term rentals as a lodging use, thus banning the properties from single-family residential neighborhoods.
Plan commissioners, who made the decision in a 10-4 vote following a nine-hour public hearing, said they didn’t take the matter lightly. Some said they didn’t know if it would be effective. Ultimately, however, the voices of those who have been plagued by nuisance properties and “bad actors” operating party houses and dens of criminal activity in neighborhoods prevailed.
Short-Term Rentals Are a National Discussion
Cities across the U.S. have wrestled with the decision of whether to ban STRs, so the Dallas vote could set a precedent for other cities like Plano to follow suit. The Dallas City Council could still change course and modify the proposal with caveats, such as allowing STRs by right or in multi-family districts.
Lisa Sievers, who operates two STRs in East Dallas, issued the following statement to CandysDirt.com on Friday.
Short-term rentals are an important piece of the city’s hospitality culture and provide a good window to visitors about what makes Dallas great.
We are neighbors, community members, and business operators, too – and we support sensible regulations and policy changes to ensure that all short-term rentals are meeting city standards for noise, code compliance, and tax remittances. Data researched by the City of Dallas shows that over 88 percent of Short-Term Rentals have ZERO 311 or 911 calls. The vast majority of Dallas short-term rental operators are good actors who bring value to their neighborhoods. We remain opposed to a one-size fits all zoning solution and the harsh economic impact it would have on many families, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.
We support the Dallas City Council’s push to create a regulatory scheme that punishes the small handful of bad actors and preserves the rights of neighbors and good short-term rental operators and will continue working toward that goal.
Lisa Sievers, short-term rental owner
Plan commissioners said Thursday their proposal is not a ban, but rather it limits STRs to areas where lodging use is permitted.
“I think all of us here at the horseshoe share the same goals here, to deal with the folks who have been clearly a problem,” said CPC Chair Tony Shidid. “The problem STRs are a massive problem. I don’t want one in my neighborhood. I don’t want one in your neighborhood. I hope these disappear if this passes, but I don’t think they will. In fact, what I think is going to happen is the very first folks who will shut it all down are the good operators. We’re trying to put a puzzle together, and we don’t have all the pieces.”
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For Christ’s sake! Please stop calling it a “ban”. You can’t operate a 7-11, McDonald’s or Motel 6 in a residential neighborhood, but no one would ever say they were “banned” in Dallas. Short term rentals aren’t being “banned” from residential areas. Per the Dallas Development Code, just like other commercial uses which include lodging, they never allowed there in the first place.
What Lisa Sievers can’t get into her thick little skull is that are NO regulations other than ZONING that can ensure the house next door is occupied by neighbors, not strangers & by residents instead of transients. Neighbors who bought in residential zones did not sign up to live next to an unstaffed STR hotel with a revolving door of randos.
Candy’s dirt usually publishes direct reporting of events as they occur. This article is intentionally written with intense focus on the paid Airbnb platform lobbyist viewpoints. The photo chosen, the quotes, both from a nay vote( one of 4 ) , out of 15 votes, and and STR activist. Not one quote or interview from the viewpoint of the overwhelming Dallas residential response , or 10 member yay vote. Hmm, Candy, you can do better than this to represent real estate and homeowners in our great city.
Unfortunately, the harm caused by the few(?) bad actors found in STRs is so significant and egregious to neighborhoods and homeowners that no good alternatives have been found other than to shut them down. Cudos to the
Dallas City Council for their decision…better late than never!
Mike, no decision has been made. The city council sent this to zoning. Then zoning sent it to CPC and now it will go back to the city council. Cindy, to address your concern, Candysdirt.com has been very even handed in our reporting on this issue. All you have to do is type short term rental into our search bar to see an enormous amount of coverage offering a voice to both sides, as any professional media company should. This is a complicated topic in any city and has become very emotional. We will continue to report both sides of all issues.