STR Task Force. City council invites comment.
Short-Term Rental Task Force
Mayor Jeryl Hoover is assembling a “task force” to examine the impacts of short-term rentals on the city’s residents and their quality of life. The stated aims of the task force are:
Who are the ‘bad actors’ and where are they located?
What are the specifics of the violations regarding STRs on file?
What is the number of STRs currently operating?
The members of the task force include:
Randy Briley, President of the Fredericksburg STR Alliance
Belinda McDonnell, Owner of the Ollivander & Bee STR and founder of the STR Alliance
Mimi Bartel, Realtor
Tami Smith, Realtor with Absolute Charm
Bill Snyder, Member of Fredericksburg Neighborhood Coalition
Mike Mahoney, Organizer of Fredericksburg Neighborhood Coalition
While Fredericksburg Neighborhood Coalition hopes the task force will help resolve conflicts between the residents and STR business owners, the interests of the STR industry are clearly opposed to the quality of life of neighbors. Any house that is a hospitality business for visitors is not a residence for friendly neighbors.
FBGNC wants to halt further development in R1 and R2, create a legal means of expiration for permits, and to establish a time limit for inactive permit applications.
The City Council is inviting additional public comment on the problems and benefits of STRs. Email neighbors@fbgtx.org to answer the call. "The information will be generalized for the Task Force’s consideration, and the senders’ identities will be kept confidential."
STR OWNERS THREATEN LEGAL ACTION
Some STR owners have retainedJ. Patrick Suttonto threaten the City with legal action. Sutton's firm specializes in representing STR owners who face effective regulation from city authorities in Texas. Retired attorneys David Schwarte ofTX Neighborhood Coalition and Mike Mahoney of FBGNC support our community with a clear understanding of the law that counters Sutton’s bluster and misinformation.
News Roundup
Thousands flooding to Austin for events are staying in unlicensed short-term rentals
The City of Austin is finding it impossible to track down unpermitted operators and to issue citations for violations. As in Fredericksburg, "Code Enforcement does not have the authority to address the source of a noise complaint, that’s something only law enforcement can do."
Read the article on KXAN.
Airbnb CEO Says He’ll Fix Fees 17 Months After Launching Review
Airbnb guests have been hit with surprise fees and burdensome cleaning tasks. The company is finally taking action on the issue after a round of negative publicity.
Read the article on Skift.
In Airbnb Facebook groups, panic over decline in bookings
Between backlash over bad business practices and inflationary impacts on people's vacation budgets, many Airbnb hosts have seen a decline in bookings.
Read the article on Daily Dot.
The Rent Revolution is Coming
"Unhappiness extends across the economic spectrum. At one end are renters who aspire to buy a home but have had their dreams dashed by high home prices and, now, rising mortgage rates. At the other are low-income tenants who make up the bulk of the 11 million households who spend more than half of their income on rent. In between is a hollowed-out middle class that is steadily losing ground, although not enough to qualify for much sympathy or help."
Read the article in the New York Times.
