Fact sheets
These are available to download and use or excerpt as needed.
Texas Neighborhood Coalition (TNC) has superb news to report. After a four-year battle to protect neighborhoods, the Dallas Chapter succeeded last night in persuading their City Council to pass an ordinance excluding short-term rentals from all single-family zoned neighborhoods. The Dallas Chapter’s success is a textbook case of how ordinary citizens can beat multi-billion-dollar corporations when they organize, are well lead, speak up in great numbers, and never give up.
Mothers Against STRs have documented that since May 2019 there have been over 450 shootings at homes that were identified in the media as being STRs and that 39 of these shootings occurred in Texas - # of casualties and fatalities are pretty shocking: 194 killed and 411 others injured. These are only the ones we hear about and can positively verify based on media reports so actual numbers would be much higher. (Aug 2024)
Myth vs Facts - Short-Term Rentals
A cautionary tale for Cities: The History and Impact of Short-Term Rentals in Fredericksburg Texas
FAQs and responding to questions on STRs & Responses to Common STR Operator Claims
How to Challenge STR Advocates on the Right to Lease their own property
The economic costs of Airbnb likely outweigh the benefits - Economic Policy Institute study
When Airbnbs increase in a neighborhood, so does crime. Here’s why. Northeastern University study
Independent study: Airbnb raises violent crime rates in cities as long-term residents are pushed out
Court Rulings: Texas cities can legally regulate STRs & The truth about the Tarr decision confirming the power of cities and HOAs to ban STRs. Here is the Tarr case decision.
Court Rulings: Impact and Implications to TX cities of Recent US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Regarding New Orleans Owner-Occupied Exception for STRs in Residential Neighborhoods. Here is the Fifth Court Ruling.
Court Rulings: The Texas Supreme Court issued a decision reiterating that HOAs can legally ban short-term rentals by amending their governing restrictive covenants. Here is the JBrice decision. See also previous court case: TX 14th Court of Appeals held Texas Property Code provides independent authority for HOA to adopt rules prohibiting short term rentals
Court Rulings: Texas Supreme Court refuses to hear two challenges to the legal authority of HOAs to exclude Short-Term Rentals. This means that any short-term rental restriction amendment that is properly approved by the members of the homeowners association will be valid and enforceable against all property owners regardless of when they purchased their property, even if some owners within the community purchased their property with the intent to engage in short-term leasing prior to the enactment of the amendment. See third party press release.
Why cities should not enter voluntary tax collection agreements with STR platforms
Coalition Letter to Texas State Representatives and Senators - 2023 & 2021
Stop Child Predators: Short-Term Rentals Put Our Children At Risk
The State of TX defines STRs as hotels under Section 156.001, which is the definition of hotel referenced in the HOT tax code. There is no room # requirement, just that hotel “means a building in which members of the public obtain sleeping accommodations for consideration.” Section b specifically Identifies that “hotel includes a short term rental.”
ADU Pre-emption bills: One-page fact sheet on flawed ADU pre-emption bills and paper on Response to Upzoning Advocates. (2023)