City of CS hosting forum on short-term rentals (VRBO, AirBnB)

8,022 Views | 64 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by Kbeauty63
Cody 91
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AG
Obviously the hotel lobby contends this is bad for the City due to uncollected hotel tax revenue. Neighbors don't like STRs either. Whatever your stance, see below:

The City of College Station invites residents to join city staff on Monday, Nov. 18, for a discussion about short-term housing rentals.

The informal gathering will be at 6:30 p.m. at the CSU Meeting and Training Facility at 1603 Graham Road. We'll also serve light refreshments.

The idea of homeowners renting out their homes has evolved through online platforms such as Airbnb and expanded in College Station with the demand created by Aggie football weekends. The recent growth of short-term rentals across the nation has been dramatic, with Airbnb alone logging a half-million transactions last year in Texas.

Our discussion includes an overview of the short-term rental model and its impact on our community. We'll address current conditions, solutions adopted by other municipalities, and elements of a prospective ordinance.
We'd like to hear not only from residents, but also real estate professionals, lodging operators, and short-term rental hosts. Elected and appointed city officials may be in attendance, but city staff will lead the activities, including small group discussions.
techno-ag
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That genie is out of the bottle.
Gigem314
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Thank you for posting this. I'd like to try and attend.

We have neighbors who are using this as a loophole to constantly rent out their home, they don't even live there anymore. It's just a constant revolving door of 'tenants' every few days 12 months out of the year. And it's clear they will rent out to anyone, not just families coming in for gamedays or graduation.

This needs to be addressed, and I'm glad the city is open to hearing from people on this. Because it's not such a black-and-white issue.
agnerd
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I'd like to put this on the hotel owners. If they can create adequate supply of rooms to where there are at least a few rooms in town available every weekend for less than $100 with no minimum stays, Airbnbs should be prohibited. Until hotels can accomplish that, Airbnbs should be allowed.
Sweet Kitten Feet
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S
Quote:

This needs to be addressed, and I'm glad the city is open to hearing from people on this. Because it's not such a black-and-white issue.

What specifically "needs to be addressed?" What kind of people a homeowner allows to stay in their property while they aren't there?
techno-ag
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Back when the site city-data showed the figures they indicated 2/3rds of the beds in CS are rented. This overabundance of renters has always bothered residents. Subsequent efforts to tax, regulate, or restrict property owners have played out over the years with mixed results.
one MEEN Ag
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AG
So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.

PS3D
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one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


Your neighbors turning their house into a fly-by-night flophouse that could hurt property values and the neighborhood as a whole is a valid concern, unless you happen to own those houses.
BQ_90
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PS3D said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


Your neighbors turning their house into a fly-by-night flophouse that could hurt property values and the neighborhood as a whole is a valid concern, unless you happen to own those houses.
funny how these online rental services don't hurt property values everywhere else in the country.
EcoZapp.AC&Air.Purifiers
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- Just a question, When/ How/ and Who would give the City this right to enforce/ determine this on personal property?

  • So Many outraged about a train possibly being build to take a few ppl's land- but this to some extent, would be letting the city decided who Homeowners could rent to ? and for how long?



Also, why would one care greatly about the Hotel Lobby? I haven't seen a convention center build yet

AggieBarstool
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PS3D said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


Your neighbors turning their house into a fly-by-night flophouse that could hurt property values and the neighborhood as a whole is a valid concern, unless you happen to own those houses.
So get your HOA to prohibit STRs in your neighborhood. Move the responsibility on to the homeowner to decide if they want to live in a Gestapo or somewhere less restrictive. Apply the rule for new members; grandfather in current neighborhood residents. Everyone wins.
kraut
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AggieBarstool said:

PS3D said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


Your neighbors turning their house into a fly-by-night flophouse that could hurt property values and the neighborhood as a whole is a valid concern, unless you happen to own those houses.
So get your HOA to prohibit STRs in your neighborhood. Move the responsibility on to the homeowner to decide if they want to live in a Gestapo or somewhere less restrictive. Apply the rule for new members; grandfather in current neighborhood residents. Everyone wins.

Ah, but therein lies the rub. Not every neighborhood has an HOA, and the one's that don't (southside, eastgate, I'm looking at ya'll) want the city to enforce those restrictions by ordinances. I would venture a guess that those two neighborhoods in particular are attractive to VRBO types due to their proximity to Texas A&M.
PS3D
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BQ_90 said:

PS3D said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


Your neighbors turning their house into a fly-by-night flophouse that could hurt property values and the neighborhood as a whole is a valid concern, unless you happen to own those houses.
funny how these online rental services don't hurt property values everywhere else in the country.
My post referred to the post above about year-round rentals, not just for gameday weekends or whatever.
Stupe
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S
one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


If they bought a house in a neighborhood with an existing HOA, they aren't "exercising property rights", they are trying to break housing covenants that were voted on by people that lived there already.
Stupe
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S
"Gestapo"
cavscout96
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AG
Stupe said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


If they bought a house in a neighborhood with an existing HOA, they aren't "exercising property rights", they are trying to break housing covenants that were voted on by people that lived there already.

correct. and there is a remedy for the breach. city ordinances not required.
ukbb2003
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All VRBO and Airbnb hosts will be required to sign in and provide proof of residency.
CS78
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I was all for it til those dam LSU fans stayed next door and kept us up til 3am. Legalize the shooting of rude people and I'll come back around.
one MEEN Ag
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Here's the run down.

VRBO's and AirBnB's do not hurt resale value. In fact, groups are trying to actively ban those types of rentals solely because their cash flow opportunities are increasing prices so much it prices out those who just want to live in it.

You live in a college town. Rentals are a majority of the homes in the area.

This should be sorted out by homeowners on a neighborhood level.

And finally, how are VRBOs worse than your normal rental? The homeowner keeps everything spotless, the average renter has nicer manners than the average college 12 month leaser.
Gigem314
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Sweet Kitten Feet said:

Quote:

This needs to be addressed, and I'm glad the city is open to hearing from people on this. Because it's not such a black-and-white issue.

What specifically "needs to be addressed?" What kind of people a homeowner allows to stay in their property while they aren't there?
Clearly you didn't read my whole post.

The "owners" aren't there. They don't live there. They don't just rent it occasionally when they aren't home. It is a permanent hotel. Just a constant rotation of strangers every week, 12 months out of the year.

I think they are clearly taking advantage of a loophole to make a cheap buck.

I want to know who my neighbors are. I don't think that's asking too much.
Gigem314
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AggieBarstool said:

PS3D said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


Your neighbors turning their house into a fly-by-night flophouse that could hurt property values and the neighborhood as a whole is a valid concern, unless you happen to own those houses.
So get your HOA to prohibit STRs in your neighborhood. Move the responsibility on to the homeowner to decide if they want to live in a Gestapo or somewhere less restrictive. Apply the rule for new members; grandfather in current neighborhood residents. Everyone wins.

It's not a "Gestapo" to want people living in your neighborhood who actually live there. Don't be so dramatic.
Gigem314
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Stupe said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


If they bought a house in a neighborhood with an existing HOA, they aren't "exercising property rights", they are trying to break housing covenants that were voted on by people that lived there already.

Yeah I'm always amused by people playing the "property rights" card as if owners can do whatever they want simply because they own the property. That's not reality.
Stucco
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Gigem314 said:

I think they are clearly taking advantage of a loophole to make a cheap buck.

I wouldn't want to live next to a hotel, but at the same time I don't think this fits the definition of a loophole. This is in the same category as "don't buy a house that borders a big vacant lot if you don't want to live next to a Wal-Mart."
farmersfight
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Gigem314 - I don't have a horse in this race, but I do have a friend that does this with a house they own and don't live in it. I'd like some enlightenment on why you feel the way you do. Not attacking but just trying to wrap my head around why.

Have any of the renters done anything to you personally?

Has anything happened to your property because of renters?

Has the quality of the rental house/lawn gotten better/worse than when the owners lived in it?

What has happened to your property because of the rental house?

I get that living within an HOA would help restrict this from happening, but for those who don't have an HOA, why is this such a problem for you personally? If I were in a position where I could rent my house out and possibly make enough for a mortgage payment in a weekend or 2 I would definitely do that...

I've used airBNB for several events out of town and the experience of staying in a house with a kitchen, several bedrooms and the ability to split that cost with 4-6 people has helped me be able to afford going to do those things. It is much more convenient that paying to stay in a hotel, sometimes having to pay for parking and then eating out all the time. I'm glad people can rent out their homes and ultimately save us some money.
Gigem314
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Stucco said:

Gigem314 said:

I think they are clearly taking advantage of a loophole to make a cheap buck.

I wouldn't want to live next to a hotel, but at the same time I don't think this fits the definition of a loophole. This is in the same category as "don't buy a house that borders a big vacant lot if you don't want to live next to a Wal-Mart."
No offense, but that's a ridiculous comparison. How can someone know that about the house next door when they buy? It's not like buying next to an open lot.

When you pay more to live in a neighborhood with a real HOA, yeah you kind of expect people to live there who actually live there.

And in my case, the residents lived there when we moved in. Then they decided to move out and turn it into a hotel. So, again, it's not like buying next to a vacant lot by any stretch.

I most definitely think it's an example of a loophole.
Gigem314
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But it still seems like you're looking at this from the perspective of someone occasionally renting out their own personal home. That's not the case here. The owners no longer live there. It's a full-time hotel home.

It's nothing personal. I just don't like the idea of having a constant, week after week, rotation of strangers with little consideration of the people around them. There have been noise issues. What do people care if they're only there a night or two?

My property hasn't been damaged, but the neighboring property has been. The quality of the lawn has gone down.

And these aren't all just happy little Aggie families coming to stay for a game or event. With a young child, I don't like having a constant rotation of strangers next door.

I have, and will continue to be, engaging my HOA over this. I get the feeling they're punting on the issue because they simply don't care.

I'm not saying I'm against the entire idea...but it's not a black and white issue. And I think in this case, the original intent of the service is being used to the extreme with a complete lack of consideration for surrounding neighbors.
BCS-Ag
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I feel like this should be HOA managed, not City Ordinance enforced. If your HOA doesn't enforce it, move. Heck you'll probably be able to take advantage of the increased property values from all those high rents
Stupe
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S
I think that if the city gets involved, it should be to make it a zoning issue for certain areas and not a city wide statute.
Oogway
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I could perhaps be a proponent of that idea.
wareagle044
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Gigem314 said:


It's nothing personal. I just don't like the idea of having a constant, week after week, rotation of strangers with little consideration of the people around them..


Sounds like you need to move or move out and rent your place too.

I have a hard time believing the neighboring house is rented 52 weekends per year - let's be real.

7 football weekends
3 graduation weekends
2 ring days
1 parents weekend

And maybe a casual summer visitor or two...Can't imagine it being much more than that and if it's constant then I can't wait to get my townhouse ready for that income!
cavscout96
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Gigem314 said:

Stupe said:

one MEEN Ag said:

So whats the issues here? You've got an industry that doesn't want competition and neighbors who like to complain. Both are teaming up to bully homeowners who want to freely exercise their property rights here.


If they bought a house in a neighborhood with an existing HOA, they aren't "exercising property rights", they are trying to break housing covenants that were voted on by people that lived there already.

Yeah I'm always amused by people playing the "property rights" card as if owners can do whatever they want simply because they own the property. That's not reality.
might not be reality where you live...
Gigem314
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wareagle044 said:

Gigem314 said:


It's nothing personal. I just don't like the idea of having a constant, week after week, rotation of strangers with little consideration of the people around them..


Sounds like you need to move or move out and rent your place too.

I have a hard time believing the neighboring house is rented 52 weekends per year - let's be real.

7 football weekends
3 graduation weekends
2 ring days
1 parents weekend

And maybe a casual summer visitor or two...Can't imagine it being much more than that and if it's constant then I can't wait to get my townhouse ready for that income!
I have a hard time believing you want to actually have a rational conversation on the matter judging by the response.
techno-ag
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wareagle044 said:

Gigem314 said:


It's nothing personal. I just don't like the idea of having a constant, week after week, rotation of strangers with little consideration of the people around them..


Sounds like you need to move or move out and rent your place too.

I have a hard time believing the neighboring house is rented 52 weekends per year - let's be real.

7 football weekends
3 graduation weekends
2 ring days
1 parents weekend

And maybe a casual summer visitor or two...Can't imagine it being much more than that and if it's constant then I can't wait to get my townhouse ready for that income!
We've done the VBRO thing on a vacant rental property. I can attest this is about right. It certainly was not every weekend.
Gigem314
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I'm sure that's the case for many. But in the case of my neighbor, it is on a near weekly basis. It's clearly not just families coming in for a handful of A&M events and football games.
Picadillo
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Many homeowners resent HOA restrictions and vote against them. Then a STR sets up next door and they wonder why their neighborhood is in decline. Any healthy neighborhood needs HOA restrictions that are enforceable. If not, expect a short shelf life in a college town with 80,000 students.
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