Fort Worth has a smart plan for short-term rentals — as long as one thing doesn’t happen

AirBnB-type short-term rentals can legally operate in parts of Fort Worth zoned for multi-family homes and commercial and industrial areas. But owners are not permitted to rent out a home for fewer than 30 days in single-family neighborhoods.

But Fort Worthians do it all the time. A quick city search of short rental properties shows over 1,000 listings, with one or two likely just down the street from your home.

Want to drop some beats in Cowtown, see some friends and tour the Stockyards? No problem. Via AirBnB.com, you can stay in a cozy little bungalow for $45 a night. No sales tax or hotel occupancy tax required.

Texas is a state that favors property rights. So, the thinking goes, a person should have the right to rent out their home to whomever they please and for as long or short as they desire.

What’s the rub?

If you live next door to an AirBnB house, you never know who is going to be there. They’re probably friendly folks in town for business or to connect with old pals. But one of these weekends, they might be partiers carrying on loudly late into the night, eating up parking space and spreading litter.

Homeowners have a right to enjoy their property without excess noise or danger emanating from a nearby house. Ask any homeowner whether they’d prefer an owner-occupied neighbor or a short-term renter. They’ll say owner-occupied almost every time.

When I was running for city office and knocking doors all over Fort Worth, residents would often complain to me about the high number of rental properties in their neighborhoods. They felt that rentals (in general) diminished community cohesiveness and safety, and they didn’t like the downward pressure on their properties’ values.

It makes sense that an occupant who owns a home will take better care of it and be a better neighbor than someone who is renting for the weekend. As I once heard the late former New York Rep. Jack Kemp say, “No one takes a rental car to the car wash.”

Short-term rental proponents argue that the Texas Supreme Court recently struck down a San Antonio neighborhood’s disallowance of a short-term rental property. But that case doesn’t have specific application to Fort Worth’s situation. Furthermore, last year the 2nd Texas Appeal Court upheld Arlington’s right to restrict short-term rentals.

Under the current Fort Worth ordinance, code compliance officers investigate when a neighbor reports a short-term rental operating illegally. Last year, the department received 75 calls and made 250 visits to those homes. Proving that an owner is violating ordinance requires a lot of leg work that often doesn’t produce enough documented evidence to make a case.

That’s why city management has recommended requiring all owners who do short-term renting to register with the city. The city can purchase software that scrubs the AirBnB and VRBO websites for addresses generating revenue off of short-term rentals. If a property appears on one of these websites but isn’t registered, the city can issue a citation. Easy enforcement.

Registration is a good idea so long as the city doesn’t make the fees unreasonable. And we shouldn’t expand short-term rental legality into single-family neighborhoods even with a density restriction, though a conditional use permit for exceptional cases makes sense.

Since we spend more time in our neighborhoods than anywhere else, and most of our individual wealth is tied up in our homes, it is important to protect our neighborhoods. They are the backbone of liveability in Cowtown.

This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 9:26 AM.