San Antonio considers raising fees for Airbnb permits
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
As San Antonio continues to struggle with permitting short-term rentals like Airbnbs, some city council members suggest the city should raise the fee.
Driving the news: Neighborhood leaders and short-term rental advocates both have sought stronger city enforcement of an ordinance that regulates short-term rentals and requires a paid permit to operate.
The latest: By the city's estimate, about 1,200 to 1,500 short-term rentals in San Antonio are operating without permits, Michael Shannon, director of the city's Development Services Department, told a city council committee last week.
- That means the city has about 70% compliance for permits, Shannon sasys.
- "That's not great, that's not terrible, but we want that higher," Shannon said.
Why it matters: When short-term rental owners don't have permits and don't pay local taxes, the city loses out on revenue that would otherwise go toward supporting tourism and arts and culture programming.
By the numbers: The city has collected about $14.4 million in hotel occupancy taxes from permits since the ordinance was approved in 2018.
- The city has revoked 1,366 permits for a range of reasons, including owners being delinquent on their HOT payment.
Flashback: Former District 1 Councilmember Mario Bravo submitted a policy request almost a year ago seeking increased enforcement through the creation of a task force to recommend changes.
- But the proposal never moved forward, and it fell off when Bravo lost re-election this summer.
Yes, but: Council members suggested they want to revive the proposal, and that a task force could examine increasing the permit fee — currently $100 for three years.
What they're saying: "I think we're really shortchanging ourselves as a city on this," District 9 Councilmember John Courage said.
- "It is costing us in the millions to make up for that housing. And when I hear $100 for three years, I think that's really insulting to San Antonio taxpayers," District 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo said.
Zoom in: Some cities partner with Airbnb for the platform to collect local taxes on their behalf, an option San Antonio has considered.
- But city officials felt it wasn't the best choice because they would receive a lump sum payment without details on how much each short-term rental was paying.
The bottom line: San Antonio is considered a hot spot for short-term rentals in the country this year as listings have increased.
- The city receives about 30 applications per week for short-term rental permits, Shannon said.