Not that I actually want to move to Dallas.
But I might have to.
In a 12-3 vote, the Dallas City Council voted last week to prohibit short-term rental (STR) properties from single-family residential neighborhoods.
A 12-3 vote sounds pretty impressive to me. Here in Archuleta County, we’re lucky to get a 2-1 vote from our County Commissioners.
Some argued that STRs had increased noise and criminality in their communities, resulting, in some cases, in gunshots. Apparently, people in Dallas apparently don’t like gunshots in their neighborhoods?
The story was covered by news media even in outlying areas like Miami, and Houston. But not yet in the Pagosa Daily Post, for some reason. I intend to remedy that situation, come what may.
According to the news, the folks supporting the ban on STRs wore T-shirts with the slogan, “Homes Not Hotels.”
Just goes to show what a whole group of people wearing the same T-shirt can accomplish.
As I said, the prohibition — which kicks in next January — applies to Airbnbs and VRBOs (and those types of hotels) in residential-zoned neighborhoods. The City Council wasn’t completely heartless. You can still operate your STR in commercial-zoned neighborhoods, right along side the real hotels.
The only trick will be figuring out how to move the house. A lot of STRs are attached to a foundation, and plumbing. So it will take some imagination to get them moved to commercial-zoned districts.
But as my dad used to say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
According to the news reports, there are about 1,000 STRs located in Dallas’ residential neighborhoods, and I bet the owners are feeling pretty disappointed right about now. (Should have showed up with matching T-shirts, guys.)
Anyway, we can imagine some of those STRs will be sold at fire sale prices over the next few months.
Here in Archuleta County, our Board of County Commissioners have consistently refused to control the growth of STRs in residential neighborhoods. As a result, we have about 1,000 STRs here. Like, a similar number to Dallas. But I think Dallas has a bigger population.
I personally don’t live next to any STRs. I think the nearest one is about two blocks away. So I probably wouldn’t even hear the gunshots.
But noise is not my main concern. The problem here — in a scenic rural community with a lack of housing — is that all kinds of people came to town during the COVID debacle and paid top dollar for single-family homes, and then converted them into hotels.
And I do mean, “top dollar”.
They could afford top dollar, because you can apparently make a boatload of money by converting a house into a hotel.
What happened next? Well, that STR (two blocks away) was bought for twice what it was worth, and then the County appraiser took notice, and jacked up the valuation — and thus, the property taxes — on my home, where I don’t make a boatload of money.
My taxes for next year increased 100%.
And now, Dallas has outlawed STRs? Guess what. All those STR owners who have been kicked out of Dallas are going to be looking for towns that have zero controls on STR development.
And my property taxes will be going up another 100%…
Not that I actually want to move to Dallas. But I might have to.
At least they will have homes, not hotels.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all.