College Station City Council Prepares To Take Final Action On Regulating Short Term Rental Housing

Since last August, the College Station city council has been working on an ordinance to regulate short term rental housing.

The council could vote during its May 28th meeting on an ordinance.

That’s after the better part of 90 minutes was spent on a draft plan at the council’s last workshop, where no council members expressed opposition to an ordinance.

City manager Bryan Woods raised issues that remain unresolved. One is whether the city can require short term rentals to be occupied by the homeowner.

 

City attorney Carla Robinson reminded the council that a court of appeals ruling last November in Austin determined the owner-occupied requirement was unconstitutional.

 

Councilman Dennis Maloney asked the city attorney about enacting a less restrictive ordinance this year, and returning after next year’s legislative session to make the ordinance more restrictive.

 

College Station’s proposal is the result of the combination of increased use of rental housing and higher vacancy rates at local hotels during Texas A and M home football weekends and other events on and off campus.

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