City planning staff briefed the Bellaire Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 13 about a short-term rental ordinance the city intends to send to council next week that would prohibit rentals shorter than 30 days in residential zones and allow roughly 180 days for existing operators to come into compliance.

Travis, a staff liaison, told commissioners the draft borrows elements from Houston and Austin rules and would effectively prohibit sub-30-day rentals in residential zoning, while allowing council to consider changes. “That’s kind of an industry standard,” staff said when explaining the 30-day threshold; staff also said a 180-day period is included to allow property owners time to transition.

Commissioners pressed staff about enforcement, describing a long-running, localized problem at a townhouse/condo complex where frequent short-term guests have damaged shared amenities and where the owner is difficult to locate (an LLC with disconnected contact information). A commissioner asked what the “nuclear option” would be if routine citations failed, prompting staff and the city prosecutor to note injunctions and civil remedies as possible escalations and to promise follow-up with specific legal options.

“We want compliance. We don’t want to hit someone over the head with this stuff,” a staff presenter said, while the prosecutor agreed to provide legal detail to commissioners about remedies including temporary injunctions and whether property liens or other mechanisms could be used in practice. Commissioners said financial penalties alone might be insufficient if they are lower than rental revenues and urged staff to outline concrete, enforceable mechanisms for repeat violators before the ordinance takes effect.

Staff asked commissioners who are concerned about the policy to attend the council meeting next week to offer input; the ordinance will be available for council discussion and possible amendment there.