Big changes are coming to the way Fort Worth regulates short-term rentals.
On Tuesday, the Fort Worth City Council voted to approve a registration ordinance that would require owners of short-term rental properties to register and pay an annual fee for their property as well as hotel occupancy taxes for each guest.
Fort Worth defines a short-term rental as a residential property available for rent for a period ranging from one day to 29 days.
According to a presentation shared with city officials in the summer of 2022, there were 68 legally operating short-term rentals in Fort Worth and 565 properties where potential illegal rental use was occurring.
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According to the new ordinance, the rentals must inside an area zoned for short-term rentals. The ordinance also regulates how many people can stay in a rental at one time, limited to two people per bedroom, plus two additional people, with a maximum of 12 people allowed at any one time.
The ordinance also bans parties and other events during certain hours and the owner must provide for a person to respond to concerns at the property 24/7.
The vote was previously scheduled for the Jan. 31 City Council meeting but was canceled due to the ice storm.
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City staff will mail property owners and provide a timeline for registration with a deadline of June 1.
