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Cedar Park will now require owners of short-term rentals to register their rental properties with the city.
The framework
Cedar Park officials approved an ordinance April 23 that requires short-term rentals to be registered with the city and also requires owners to pay an annual registration fee of $100 per property.
Some context
The city defines a short-term rental as “the rental of all or part of a residential property for a period of 30 consecutive days or fewer to an individual who is not a permanent resident.” Short-term rentals include rentals through websites like Airbnb and Vrbo.
City staff estimate there are about 200 short-term rentals operating within the city today.
Why it matters
Short-term rental owners are already required to pay hotel occupancy taxes. Staff documents say that registration “would promote fairness and consistency by helping the city ensure proper collection of hotel occupancy taxes ... which contribute to services and amenities that benefit the entire community.”
At a April 9 City Council meeting, Director of Development Services Amy Link said requiring short-term rentals to be registered will help the city address any code compliance issues that might arise, as well as give local leaders a better understanding of how many short-term rentals are operating in Cedar Park and where they are located.
What’s next
The ordinance will take effect October 1.
