Harris County
Houston City Council’s District F is hosting a deed restriction workshop on Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Tracy Gee Community Center.
During the workshop, residents can learn how new neighborhood rules could help regulate short-term rentals. Council member Tiffany Thomas, who represents District F, said the workshop started as a way to provide homeowners with various resources.
“What had started out as just trying to provide resources so they can understand as a homeowner the power of their covenant, has really evolved to a more robust 360 view of all things related to homeownership,” she said.
This will be the second deed restriction workshop the district has hosted. Residents from across the city, including those who live near the Galleria and the East End, have been showing up to city council meetings to notify council members of crime and adult activities happening at short-term rentals. Others have raised concerns about how many properties in their neighborhoods are being used as hotels instead of homes.
Thomas said that with deed restrictions, residents can choose to limit how many properties in their neighborhood are used as short-term rentals or if they are in the neighborhood at all.
“I don’t think anyone is against residents being entrepreneurial,” she said. “I have several owners throughout the district and they’re really a model of how they are good neighbors. But using them as an example.. how do you want your community to align with that? Or not align with that?”
The workshop will be open to the public, and residents from as far as Sugar Land attended the first one; Thomas said she expects a similar turnout tomorrow.
She added that while it’s not required, residents can register for the workshop online so that her team can make sure the most helpful resources are available on Saturday.
When it comes to the city creating an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, Thomas said that Houston City Council is still working to find a legal solution.
“Texas is a private property state, which makes things a little tricky in terms of what the city as an entity can do,” she said. “A lot of the precedent in the state in terms of local ordinances have led to lawsuits that have ultimately been struck down by the courts.”
