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Rowlett pauses zoning changes for short-term rentals after legal advice; expands notice, staff will map STRs
Summary
Following legal advice tied to federal appeals court guidance, the council directed staff to consolidate and clarify short-term rental rules, expand the neighborhood notification radius to 500 feet and publish STR locations while awaiting further litigation outcomes that may affect districting restrictions.
Rowlett City Council on Monday discussed revisions to the city's short-term rental (STR) rules and directed staff to consolidate existing regulations, expand neighborhood notification to a wider radius and publicly map STR locations on the city website while awaiting the outcome of pending litigation.
Mayor Pro Tem said the council had received late legal advice about a recent Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision involving the Dallas Short Term Rental Alliance that "appears to weaken our ability to enforce any such ordinance," and noted that the ordinance included in the meeting packet did not contain geographic districting restrictions. The council agreed additional restrictions that would limit STRs by zoning districts may require further legal review.
Nut graf: Rather than moving forward with zoning-driven district restrictions at this time, council directed staff to tidy the code by consolidating STR rules into a single ordinance, strengthen revocation and appeal language already in the code, increase the applicant notification radius from 200 to 500 feet and make STR permit locations available on a public map.
Deputy City Manager Christoph Bauer told council the city records show about 78 permitted STRs in the last two years, with 37 percent generating at least one complaint and 46 percent generating one or more police calls for service. He also described enforcement mechanics: citations reflect charged offenses and convictions are required for revocation in some cases.
Council asked staff to expand the notification radius for permit applicants so more nearby property owners receive written notice when a home is proposed as an STR. "200 feet is not enough," one resident had told council during public comment; after discussion councilmembers expressed support for a minimum 500-foot notice radius. Council also asked staff to add a public map of permitted STRs to the city website so neighbors can confirm whether a nearby property is permitted.
Ending: The council did not adopt a zoning-based STR ban or districting measure and did not vote on a final ordinance. Staff will amend the draft ordinance to reflect council direction, publish STR locations on the city website, and return with any necessary revisions after soils testing and pending-case outcomes clarify the city's legal options.
