The Belton City Council advanced a first reading of an ordinance to allow short‑term rentals under new zoning and operational standards, with staff recommending limits to Old Town and properties of three acres or more.

Planning staff told the council the proposed Unified Development Code amendments would allow short‑term rentals by special use permit and add standards addressing location, ownership, registration, inspections, occupancy limits, operational rules and collection of the hotel/motel license tax. “A short term rental is for any residential dwelling unit rented for less than 31 days in the city, which is currently prohibited in the city outside of a hotelmotel,” staff said.

The proposed fee structure for initial approval totals $270: a $70 registration fee, a $50 inspection fee and a $150 special‑use permit fee. Staff said annual inspections would be required but that most enforcement would be complaint‑driven; owners must post their license and the city would follow up if guests or neighbors file concerns.

The Planning Commission had recommended a citywide policy after amending the proposal, voting 6–1 to allow short‑term rentals citywide under the standards. Planning staff told the council that commission members had expressed concerns about limiting short‑term rentals to a small geographic area but that staff’s presentation to council kept the Old Town plus 3‑acre rule in the ordinance on the floor for first reading.

Council members pressed staff on enforcement and potential neighborhood impacts. One council member said enforcement challenges include identifying unregistered listings and noted that noise complaints frequently require a neighbor to pursue court action. Staff responded inspections are annual, with additional inspections triggered by complaints.

Staff estimated the pool of qualifying properties at roughly 200–250 homes (a few hundred in Old Town and 20–30 large‑lot properties elsewhere) but said it expected only a handful of actual conversions to short‑term rental use: “we were expecting we may get 5 to 10 short term rentals at most.”

Council members debated whether to limit rentals to whole units or permit single‑room rentals; city counsel explained the ordinance can be written to address either approach and that accessory dwelling units could be regulated separately. Multiple members said they favored a cautious approach—allowing a trial period in a limited area before considering a citywide policy.

The council voted to approve the ordinance on first reading as presented (the limited geographic approach) and will consider subsequent readings and any amendments at future meetings.

Next steps: the ordinance will return for further readings and any amendments the council wishes to propose, and the city will implement the special‑use permit notice and public‑hearing process for short‑term rental applications.