A growing number of North Texas homeowners are listing their swimming pool and other home amenities for rent, a trend one state representative believes deserves regulatory approval.

Swimply is an online marketplace that allows homeowners to rent out their private swimming pool or other home amenities on a per-hour basis.

The home amenity platform has become a popular tool for local residents seeking to escape the hot Texas summers. The Swimply app currently hosts more than 300 pool rentals in and around Dallas, according to listings on the platform.

However, Texas Representative J.M. Lozano has introduced new legislation relating to the regulation of home amenity rentals on apps like Swimply and Peerspace.

House Bill 2367 defines residential amenity rentals as a “feature or facility that is part of a property used or designed to be used as the home of a person, family, or household, including a single-family dwelling that is rented for a period of fewer than 15 hours and not for the purpose of providing sleeping accommodations to a tenant.”

Critics of the bill, such as members of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition (TNC), recently testified against HB 2367, suggesting the proposed legislation takes the regulation authority out of the hands of local governments.

Members of TNC argued that HB 2367 skirts local regulations and could lead to hosts treating homes as hourly commercial venues.

The Texas-based group is instead advocating for the regulation and restriction of short-term rentals throughout Texas communities, believing HB 2367 carries an “anti-neighborhood” sentiment that ultimately places the platform over communities.

This is not the case, according to Lozano, who claims HB 2367 is neither a short-term rental bill nor a full home amenity bill.

Instead, HB 2367 was authored to allow homeowners with amenities like gazebos, designer garages, or luxury backyards to support photo sessions or other such events. In addition, the bill would allow cities to maintain their zoning ordinances, according to Lozano.

In practice, the bill also restricts people’s ability to use the rental platforms by regulating the host-approval process and increasing the barriers to entry for Texas homeowners by creating a state-wide law.

HB 2367 is currently pending a decision from the committee.