There’s increasing discussion about how the city of Dallas might move forward in its so far losing legal battle to enforce a ban on short-term rentals across the city.
Vacation rental operators say they’re hopeful the Dallas City Council will provide clearer rules ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup.
An appellate court in July again said Dallas’ ordinance banning vacation rentals in single-family neighborhoods, passed in June 2023, is unenforceable.
The ordinance passed on a 12-3 vote, with concerns from neighborhood associations about loud and out-of-control parties at rental homes being a leading consideration.
Lisa Sievers with the Dallas Short Term Rental Alliance says while she’s encouraged by the latest appellate opinion, she hopes the city council will chart a different direction soon.
“Short-term rental owners and operators want an ordinance,” Sievers said. “The ball is in the City Council’s court right now.”
Sievers added that short-term rental operators are seeking clarity on the rules in the region’s largest city ahead of thousands of international visitors expected in North Texas next summer for the FIFA World Cup.
The city’s ongoing legal case against Dallas STRA was one of two posted agenda items the Dallas City Council discussed for three and a half hours in closed session Wednesday.
District 7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua told NBC 5 that, while he could not speak to the current legal case, he would like the 15-member body—with six new members since the 2023 vote to ban short-term rentals—to revisit the issue.
“Dallas absolutely should get this taken care of before the World Cup,” Bazaldua said. “With FIFA coming, we are missing a great amount of revenue and a great amount of opportunity in our city if we do not get this fixed in time.”