Richardson is taking steps to strengthen enforcement of regulations related to short-term rental properties after discussing ordinance updates at the March 2 City Council meeting.

City staff presented amendments to the city’s short-term rental ordinance that would expand the grounds for the city to revoke registration permits as well as outline additional offenses that the city can enforce.

The overview

Short-term rentals are residential properties that are rented either in whole or in part for a period of no more than 30 consecutive days, such as properties found on sites like Airbnb or Vrbo.

Lindsay Turman, Richardson’s director of community services, said that 92 single-family properties are currently registered with the city as short-term rentals. Forty-three more properties are pending registration.

Several residents voiced concerns at the meeting about trash, parking, noise and safety issues caused by STRs in their neighborhoods. Rachel Upson said she moved to Richardson with her family in 2019 and has been dealing with noise and garbage from the STRs in the houses next door and behind her home for the last five years.

“Short-term rentals are not adding value to our city. They are not making Richardson safer,” Upson said. “Had we known what was coming with short-term rentals surrounding our home, we would have chosen differently, as this has truly had a negative impact on our quality of life.”

How we got here

Council adopted regulations for short-term rentals in 2022, with requirements including registration with the city, an annual $100 fee, and contact information for owners and operators.

The city has the authority to conduct interior inspections only if they are requested and approved by the property owners or if a search warrant is obtained, Turman said. The city can also revoke registrations for violations.

Chief of Police Gary Tittle said the police department received 38 calls in 2025 related to 26 unique short-term rental properties, primarily related to noise, parking and trash. This is a decrease from 78 calls concerning 46 STRs in 2024.

What’s new

City staff proposed new amendments to the city’s STR ordinance primarily focused on improving enforcement of regulations. The proposed amendments include:

Amending the definition of “owner” to clearly identify responsible parties and the conduct that triggers compliance, enforcement and penalty provisions under the ordinanceRequiring owners to update the city within 72 hours of any changes to a registrationRequiring owners to collect and remit all applicable hotel occupancy taxes in compliance with state law and city codeClarifying and expanding the grounds for revoking STR registration permits and establishing specific criteria for when and why a certificate may be revokedClarifying the owner appeals process for revocation of an STR permitAdding a separate “offenses” provision to enumerate all unlawful actions under the ordinance, enabling city staff to hold guests, permitted owners and unpermitted operators accountableCity Manager Don Magner said that the new ordinance would outline at least a dozen violations that the city can enforce.

“This is very tight, and it provides a clear set of goal posts that we didn’t previously have, as well as very articulately outlining what a violation consists of,” Magner said. “It’s going to make enforcement by our officers much easier.”

The city is also working to procure a new software that will be able to identify short-term rentals listed across the city, including unregistered properties where it is currently difficult for the city to enforce regulations, Turman said.

Magner said that the city has the ability to enact additional regulations to address some residents’ concerns, including capping the amount of overnight guests per property and regulating parking.

What they’re saying

“While the regulations enacted by the city of Richardson in 2022 are appreciated, they fall short,” Upson said.

Ellen Beamer, who lives near four short-term rentals in her Spring Creek Meadows neighborhood, said guests at the STRs often park in front of neighbors’ houses. Another resident, Pete Weisel, said he lives next door to a short-term rental that has been used as a “party house,” with large numbers of guests parking down the street and creating noise.

“We live in a residential area. These are businesses,” Weisel said. “They don’t belong there.”

Some context

Broad restrictions of short-term rentals are likely to be challenged in court, city attorney Joe Gorfida said, and to date, no court in Texas has upheld a city ordinance that fully prohibits STRs.

The only successful zoning-based restrictions, which could restrict STRs from being in residential areas, needed documented public input, evidence of impacts, police calls, complaints and demonstrated effects on housing, Gorfida said.

“If there are going to be any type of restrictions that are going to be in place, we do know that those restrictions need to be backed by some sort of study or some type of findings,” Gorfida said.

Mayor Amir Omar encouraged residents to call 911 or Community Services’ nonemergency number about every legitimate concern or violation regarding a short-term rental property because those complaints can be used to bolster future regulations.

“We are trying to do our best to be as aggressive as we can without getting sued,” Omar said. “There is a bit of a balance going on.”

What’s next

City staff will finalize the ordinance amendments to present to council at a later date. Gorfida said the city will also continue tracking ongoing legal cases related to short-term rental regulation and plan to procure and implement the new STR software.