Most Short Term Rental found compliant

The city of Wimberley has spent thousands of dollars attempting to identify Short Term Rentals that are not properly permitted. The most recent numbers sent by Host Compliance, the company tasked with finding such Short Term Rentals, showed that 22 properties within the city were operating without a Conditional Use Permit as of May 1.

After further review of the numbers, City Administrator Shawn Cox said that, of those 22, he found seven that were properly permitted bringing the current total to 15.

The 15 found without a CUP is much lower than numbers previously reported. Host Compliance did a cursory evaluation of STRs within the city limits months ago and found that 123 were potentially out of compliance. Since that time, the number has been whittled down either because some properties were counted multiple times, out of compliance STRs have stopped advertising online or those that were believed to be illegally operating were found to be out of city limits or in compliance.

Cox said that the numbers will continue to fluctuate simply due to the nature of the business.

“Some people will (advertise STRs) heavy for Spring Break, and then pull them down in the summer,” Cox said.

The new numbers caused some on the Wimberley City Council to delay a vote on fees associated with new renewal requirements passed for Short Term Rentals. The fees, which were discussed in ranges from $50 to $500 per year depending on occupancy, have been discussed as a way to offset the cost of Host Compliance. Cox estimated that the STR renewal process will cost the city $20,000 in the first year with $15,000 of that being paid to Host Complaince.

The council decided to wait until the typical city-budget season to decide on what fees will be applicable, but they did approve the new annual renewal requirement for STRs on the second reading.

“I would like to say that we have an ordinance in place that requires people who run a (Short Term Rentals) to have a (Conditional Use Permit.) An ordinance is a law. What I am suggesting is everybody be in compliance with our laws… This ordinance is making it a level playing field where everybody should be in compliance.”

Not everyone agreed that the requirement was appropriate. Allison Davis was the lone vote against the measure on the council, but Short Term Rental owner Molly Bowen spoke out against the measure during the meeting.

“It does not appear that this huge non-compliant STR issue is even real,” Bowen said. “It is an imagined problem. We have an ordinance in place that is working.”