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Rowlett council weighs stricter short‑term rental rules, staff to draft ordinance
Summary
Residents described repeated problems at short‑term rentals and urged tougher enforcement. Council directed staff to study ordinance options (fees, owner‑occupied distinctions, strike‑out rules) and return with a draft and legal analysis in a few months.
Residents urged the Rowlett City Council on Monday to tighten rules and improve enforcement for short‑term rentals, saying the homes are operating like hotels and degrading neighborhood quality.
Mark Tashic told the council that chimineas and small backyard fires should not be treated the same as 'open burning' and criticized subjective language in the local code. Steve Horowitz described repeated trash, blocked sidewalks and large gatherings at a lakefront rental and said neighbors want clearer responsibilities and disclosure of work and permits. Ken Jones said enforcement—not just new rules—is the pressing problem: 'If you have regulations, you enforce them,' he told the council, citing a property where a permit revocation did not stop gatherings.
City staff and the city manager acknowledged frustration with the pace of code compliance, saying enforcement has been active even if legal remedies move slowly. The city manager described enforcement as 'glacial in its pace' but said staff and the police respond to complaints and that legal action has been taken in some cases. Staff stressed the need for a legal analysis to design rules likely to withstand court challenge.
Council members and staff discussed a menu of options for the draft ordinance. Suggestions include a higher upfront application/permit fee (an example figure offered during discussion was $2,500), annual renewals and quarterly inspections, clearer distinctions between owner‑occupied and non‑owner‑occupied STRs, revocation after repeat citations (three strikes or similar), and using vendor tools that scan Airbnb/VRBO listings to identify unregistered units.
Staff said they have modeled work on Arlington’s ordinances and other cities, and that a draft ordinance and the supporting data/analysis will likely take 'a few months' to prepare. Until that analysis is completed, staff cautioned, the city must balance immediate enforcement actions with the need to craft a defensible ordinance.
Council did not take formal action on an ordinance Monday but gave staff direction to continue work and return with a legally vetted draft for future council consideration.
