(Candy’s Dirt) — Once again the future of Dallas short-term rentals is clear as mud.
Here’s a brief history of the timeline to date. The Dallas City Council in June 2023 banned short-term rentals in single-family neighborhoods, providing a six-month deadline for operators to ensure they were in compliance or shut down.
The Dallas Short Term Rental Alliance sued the city in October of last year, as expected, and in December was granted an injunction allowing STRs to legally operate in residential areas.
Dallas appealed the ruling in January.
A non-jury trial was set for June 3 but didn’t happen, reportedly due to a backlog in the court docket.
Dallas Short Term Rental Alliance spokeswoman Lisa Sievers reached out to CandysDirt.com this week to advise that an appellate court hearing has been set for Sept. 10. City Hall insiders are already saying the hearing will likely be delayed again.
Dallas City Attorney Tammy Palomino did not respond to a request for comment.
No News is Good News?
Dallas STR operators seem content with the court delays because they’re able to continue operating their rentals as usual. Some of the “bad actors” who were cited by residents last year for allowing wild parties and illegal activity have closed up shop.
“There has been no negative publicity since the injunction was granted earlier this year,” one STR operator said. “It’s not a political hot potato any longer.”
The City of Dallas continues to respond to nuisances and code enforcement issues at short-term rental properties. A city webpage devoted to the matter provides answers to frequently asked questions but does not appear to have been updated this year.