The Fort Worth City Council has unanimously passed new rules for short-term rentals.

Fort Worth, Texas. Fort Worth City Council members unanimously passed a new ordinance aimed at short-term rentals of real estate. The decision was made at a meeting on Tuesday evening.

The new rules include: no events or parties at the hotel, hosts will have to pay an initial registration fee of $150 and renew it every year by $100, and short-term rentals will have to start paying hotel occupancy tax.

The new standards and requirements are effective immediately. The registration deadline for all short-term rental properties is June 1, 2023.

The council said city code enforcement officers would enforce short-term lease rules. The City also plans to contact short-term rental property owners about the next steps they need to take.

Some short-term property owners spoke with the WFAA ahead of their Tuesday night meeting about the ruling.

Susan Harper, who had been a landlord for two years, decided to go into short-term rentals. Now she and her husband make ends meet much easier.

Harper said: “I need this to replace the income I thought we would have but we don’t. That’s why I moved from regular rentals to Airbnb rentals.”

As an Airbnb host, Harper planned to approach Fort Worth city council members about their new ordinance.

“I would like the City to create a task force from both sides of the issue,” Harper said.

Trina Parkin launched her first Airbnb three years ago. She likes to provide families with options beyond staying at a hotel.

Since upgrading her Airbnb with amenities, she is now a superhost. Her Airbnb is located in an upscale neighborhood in northern Fort Worth.

Parkin vets its guests extensively, in addition to the requirements already set by Airbnb itself, which govern guests who are pre-screened and pre-registered with reviews of their stay from other hosts.

Parkin’s goal is to make every guest feel at home.

“They want to feel safe and they want to respect their neighbors,” Parkin said. “And so it’s a big advantage for me that we can stay together as a family and travel as a family.”

While some oppose short-term leases, saying they interfere with neighbors, Parkin believes that communities and neighborhoods benefit from the services they offer.

“We don’t just generate income for the community through tourism. This is a great thing. But we’re helping to support these homes,” Parkin said.

There is at least one thing about the new ruling that some property owners disagree with.

“The hotel tax, I think, should be a little different for Airbnb because we don’t provide the same services as hotels,” Parker said.

After the council vote, Parker said she plans to appeal to the city’s leadership. She has been a sideline in the past, but now she thinks council members need to know more about the people behind the scenes of short stays.

“I’m sort of counting on what I sent them two weeks ago to let them know my story,” Parker said. “I truly believe that these journeys have changed for Americans. I think more people are now traveling because of Airbnb, and frankly, they’re spending money in Fort Worth.”

The full list of changes includes:

• Short-term rentals, where permitted by zoning, for registration.
• Annual registration and fee: $150 for the first year and $100 per year for renewal.
• Registrations are non-transferable.
• Collection of tax on accommodation in a hotel for real estate.
• Minimum stay is one night.
• The local responsible party must be available 24/7 to answer questions at the property. The local responsible party may be the owner of the property or an operator working on behalf of the owner.
• No more than one group will be allowed to inhabit a property at a time.
• Renting will be limited to two people per bedroom plus two additional people, with a maximum of 12 people staying on the property at any one time.
• Parking will only be allowed on site.
• No events or parties will be allowed.
• The host will be required to provide instructions to comply with noise, litter, parking, and curfew ordinances.
• Advertising and work on short-term rentals without registration will be prohibited.
• Registration may be canceled due to violations.