The Woodlands Township Development Standards Committee, which oversees rules relating to property use in the township, held a public meeting July 24 to address some of its proposed revisions, including rules for short-term rentals. The meeting, which was held at the same time as the township's regular board of directors meeting in an adjacent room, drew several dozen residents with questions about the rules as well as concerns about short-term rentals in general. An FAQ handout distributed at the meeting covered some of the key points for residents to know about the proposed policies:

• A short-term rental is defined as any single-family dwelling rented for more than $15 per stay for a period of less than 30 consecutive days.
• Application forms are available from the township for those wishing to operate a short-term rental.
• Applicants must provide information about available parking spaces, provide proof of insurance and pay a $500 compliance deposit. Parking must be provided on the property.
• All properties must be in compliance with the township standards and covenants.
• Short-term rental approvals are good for one year, provided the property remains in compliance with the township standards.
• Suspected violations can be reported to the township or the Covenant Administration Department.
• Renters must be at least 21 years old.
• Violations can result in forfeiting the compliance deposit as well as revocation of the approval or legal action.

Short-term rentals are permitted according to a 2017 Texas Supreme Court ruling, the handout reads. Legislation relating to short-term rentals did not make it out of committee during the 86th session of the Texas Legislature this year. However, governing entities can make certain rules governing the process within their boundaries. “We finally have something in place now that hopefully we can help monitor the number of short-term rentals we have on the map, and we’ll be able to identify how many we have,” DSC Chairman Walt Lisiewski said at the forum. Residents in the meeting said more than 100 properties in The Woodlands were on short-term rental websites, such as Airbnb. Complaints from those who attended the meeting included reports of strangers smoking, increased noise, large numbers of cars parked in the neighborhood and other behavior described collectively as "nuisances." Other concerns included loss of property value, neighborhood character, safety and security. One resident said he was concerned the value of his home would decline by $10,000 or $20,000 if an Airbnb location was next door. Individuals wishing to rent their property must apply using the Short-Term Rental Facility Application or by contacting the Covenant Administration Department at 281-210-3800. The next DSC meeting, at which the rules will be discussed, is at 5 p.m. Aug. 7, and a vote could be held Aug. 21, DSC officials said. The meetings are held at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., The Woodlands.