Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Short Term Rentals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hutto council directs staff to register short-term rentals and pursue hotel-occupancy-tax collection
Summary
At a March 5 work session, Hutto staff told council an estimated 70 short-term rentals operate in the city but only two remitted hotel-occupancy tax in FY2025; the council voted to begin a voluntary registration program, pursue HOT collection (including in the ETJ where legal), acquire listing-detection software and return with formal recommendations.
At its March 5 work session, the Hutto City Council directed staff to start registering short-term rental (STR) properties, pursue collection of the city’s 7% hotel-occupancy tax (HOT) where legally allowed, and evaluate software to identify listings advertised on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO.
Nick Angeli, a city management fellow, told the council staff had identified roughly 70 STR listings in Hutto from a preliminary review of listing platforms but said only two properties remitted HOT in fiscal 2025. "In Hutto it's 7%," Angeli said, adding that the city’s review of peer ordinances found registration, neighbor notification, and software-based address identification were common practices.
Council members debated enforcement and fees. Some members opposed retroactive, punitive collection, urging an initial voluntary registration period; others favored sending demand letters to platforms and property owners. Mayor Sanders moved that staff implement a no-cost introductory registration, pursue HOT remittance (including in the ETJ where legally allowable), procure software to identify listings, and return with recommendations on occupancy, parking, signage, fines, revocation and appeals; another member seconded and the motion passed by voice vote.
The council’s direction included asking staff to report back with (a) the results of a software-driven search for prior listings and any remittances since 2019, (b) recommended ordinance language for registration and neighbor notification, and (c) proposed processes for fines, revocation and appeals. Council members asked staff to avoid routine, proactive inspections during the introductory phase; instead, the council prioritized a reactive enforcement posture tied to complaints and code violations.
Next steps: staff will evaluate software options and costs, compile historic listing data and remittance figures, and return to council with draft ordinance language and operational recommendations.
