On April 22, 2024, the Plano City Council approved short-term rental regulations following input from various members of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition’s Plano chapter.
The regulations prohibit the establishment of new short-term rentals within single-family neighborhoods. However, existing short-term rental properties predating Plano's temporary ban on such rentals will be permitted to remain operational. The regulations make provisions for short-term rentals overseen by on-site managers within the city's heritage properties.
"Neighborhoods survive because of people who live there,” a member of the coalition said during the meeting. “STRs are empty homes owned by investors. Please ban STRs in single-family residential areas."
Under the new regulations, short-term rentals must register with the city and remit a registration fee of $300. Existing short-term rental proprietors in Plano must complete their registrations by Aug. 1.
Individuals must annually register their rentals with the city and adhere to various requirements, including:
- Maintaining a minimum of $1 million in liability insurance coverage.
- Designating a contact person capable of responding to incidents promptly.
- Providing a list of all rental platforms used and photos of the property.
- Implementing noise level and video monitoring.
- Displaying a floor plan, valid registration certificate and relevant regulations within the unit.
- Furnishing contact details of owners and operators, including legal name, mailing address, email and phone number.
In the spring of 2023, Plano initiated a study on short-term rentals, commencing with a community survey. In response to the survey findings, the city council established a short-term rental task force during the summer. Subsequently, the task force conducted six meetings and several open houses to tackle the challenges surrounding short-term rentals.
Last year, in conjunction with the planning and zoning commission, Plano's city council voted 7-10 to enforce a one-year ban on new short-term rentals, scheduled to lapse on May 15, 2024, in response to escalating grievances from residents regarding rental properties managed by platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
Residents have advocated for the ban following a surge in issues associated with short-term rentals. On Sept. 23, 2022, Dallas police raided one of these rentals for operating as a brothel. Then, on Feb. 6, 2023, a stray bullet entered a child’s playroom following an altercation in a short-term rental.
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