Northeast Tarrant

Bedford now regulating short-term rentals. Owners will receive notices from city

A sign opposing short-term rentals is posted in the front yard of a Tarrant County home in this file photo.
A sign opposing short-term rentals is posted in the front yard of a Tarrant County home in this file photo. amccoy@star-telegram.com

Bedford property owners who operate short-term rentals are now required to register annually with the city.

The city will start to send notices in about two weeks, and owners will have 30 days to register. The cost is $200 and a $60 inspection fee, according to a news release. Inspections for health and safety standards will be conducted.

The registration requirement is included in an ordinance that the city council adopted recently to regulate the short-term rentals.

Assistant city manager Andrea Roy said Bedford has gotten complaints about some of the short term rentals.

“But we also recognized that we had approximately 40 of these operating in the community with only a couple paying the required Hotel Occupancy Tax,” she said.

Roy said city staff found the short-term rentals by checking listings on Airbnb and VRBO.

Short-term rentals are allowed in any residential district except those zoned for multifamily, she said. Some homeowners associations also don’t allow the short-term rentals, Roy said.

Fort Worth requires property owners to register in areas where zoning allows short-term rentals.

The deadline in Fort Worth is June 1.

This story was originally published March 17, 2023 at 2:40 PM.

Elizabeth Campbell
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
With my guide dog Freddie, I keep tabs on growth, economic development and other issues in Northeast Tarrant cities and other communities near Fort Worth. I’ve been a reporter at the Star-Telegram for 34 years.
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