What’s changed?
According to the Nov. 17 agenda item, the city previously only required STR owners to obtain a certificate of occupancy, which, according to the American Legal Publishing website, is a legal document that certifies that a building is safe to be occupied and is in compliance with building codes and zoning laws.
However, after the council voted unanimously in favor of the new ordinance, regulations now prohibit STRs in residential districts and give existing owners 120 days from adoption—Nov. 17—to cease operations.
The new ordinance also:
- Defines STRs and platforms
- Provides enforcement for owners, guests and platforms
- Establishes permit, renewal, appeal and revocation rules and procedures
- Declares STRs as a nuisance in residential districts due to incompatibility
City Attorney Alan Petrov said penalties for a violation of the ordinance will be the maximum fine allowed by state law, which can range from $500-$2,000 per day of offense.
The discussion
Bellaire officials originally considered adopting a short-term rental ordinance in 2021. However, despite a workshop taking place a few months later, the item was postponed and was never placed on an agenda for a motion.
The concept was then brought back to the table this fall, with a handful of residents at the Nov. 3 council meeting sharing concerns about how STRs are affecting the community, with complaints of increased noise, traffic and potential effects on housing affordability.
Jamie Perkins, a Bellaire resident, said she had a direct next-door neighbor who operated the home as a short-term rental, an experience she said was “awful.”
“Aside from the typical standards, it brings additional crime into the neighborhood,” Perkins said. “It brings trash because [guests] don’t really care; it’s just a hotel to them. Loud partying. Noises. There is no regulation of this, ... and it’s terrible.”
During the same meeting, two other residents also shared their concerns about short-term rentals in their communities, citing issues with noise, strangers and disturbance of the “neighborly ambience.”
At the Nov. 17 meeting, Mayor Gus Pappas said that city officials also had no interest in allowing STRs to continue to operate within Bellaire and ultimately decided to create the new ordinance.
“One of the things that has changed dramatically in this town, especially since 2021, is a proliferation of a lot of these businesses that now have rentals for people going to the [Texas] Medical Center,” Pappas said. “That particular product has also helped us in that we don’t really need these [STRs] anymore, or we don’t have a compelling interest in these anymore at least.”
Something to note
The ordinance states that short-term rentals will be permitted within mixed-use districts in the city, subject to a permit process. While council members discussed wanting to prohibit short-term rentals in all districts throughout Bellaire, due to potential legal issues, it was ultimately decided to allow rental owners to continue operations in approved districts.
