San Antonio targets Airbnb taxes, parties in short-term rental rules
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San Antonio is set to crack down on short-term rentals like Airbnbs, aiming to collect more city taxes and prevent so-called party houses.
Why it matters: Thousands of those rentals aren't permitted and don't pay local taxes, meaning the city loses revenue and has a harder time enforcing rules at sites neighbors have long complained about.
The latest: The City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on a slate of updates to San Antonio's short-term rental rules.
State of play: A volunteer task force of rental operators and neighborhood advocates has worked since November to hash out recommended changes.
What they're saying: Shelley Galbraith, part of the task force and the chair of the Short Term Rental Association of San Antonio, tells Axios almost everyone agreed on the updates.
- "This really does what we need it to do," she says.
The big picture: Last year, San Antonio was ranked one of the hottest cities in the country for its growth in short-term rental listings. The market has since slowed, Galbraith says.
- That's sometimes caused friction with neighborhood leaders, who worry about parties, parking and neighborhood character.
The new rules the group suggested include:
- Requiring platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo to collect taxes for the city monthly
- Mandating platforms to remove listings that don't have permit numbers
- Increasing the fees from $100 to $300 for all three-year permits
- Adding quiet-hour notices for guests
- Clarifying that the number of guests at a rental cannot exceed what's approved in the permit
- Requiring meetings with the city if rental operators have numerous complaints
Zoom out: If passed, San Antonio would join other cities and counties that already ask Airbnb to collect taxes on their behalf — meaning guests pay the taxes to Airbnb, and the company pays the government.
- In Texas, that includes Leon Valley in San Antonio, Houston, Kyle, McKinney, Plano and others.
- That "will make life so much easier for hosts," Galbraith says. "It's probably the No. 1 thing everyone has asked for."
Yes, but: Some council members suggest upping the fee for a short-term rental where the owner doesn't live to $975 for a three-year permit (instead of the task force's suggested $300).
By the numbers: San Antonio had 2,954 permitted short-term rentals as of April 16, per city data.
- 76% of those are Type 2, meaning the owner does not live there.
Between the lines: The city estimates about 1,100 short-term rentals are operating without a permit in San Antonio.
- But that number could be much higher.
- The data website AirDNA lists more than 11,000 active short-term rental listings in the San Antonio market.
The bottom line: "We're hopeful that with valid permits and compliance, we'll see a truer picture of the market and bookings for people, and tax collections for the city," Galbraith says.
- She's also optimistic that nuisance parties will decrease.
- "We're hoping to solve all of it."