Friends of Austin Neighborhoods members voted and overwhelmingly passed the following resolution regarding short term rentals and accessory dwelling units. An email/letter will be sent to the city council letting them know our position. In order to vote on these issues in the future and become a member of FAN, please visit the link here: http://www.atxfriends.org/join/
The Planning Commission recommended banning Type 2 short term rentals (STRs) in accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and that recommendation is being considered by the Planning and Neighborhoods Committee on August 17th. Friends of Austin Neighborhoods (FAN) does not support this policy.
Out of all new ADUs permitted in Austin between 2004 – 2014 there are approximately 12 ADUs that are Type 2 STRs showing that there is not an abundance of Type 2 STRs in ADUs. The current STR ordinance limits Type 2 STRs for all dwelling types to a small number of licenses – 3% of dwellings per census tract, making sure that no one census tract can have many Type 2 STRs (addressing “clustering” concerns) and limits their number city wide (addressing housing stock concerns). The current STR regulations in place provide strict limits and even without the limits the data suggests there would be few Type 2 STR ADUs in Austin.
FAN supports abundant and diverse housing in Austin; including temporary housing options. STRs benefit our neighborhoods by providing a convenient place for Austinites to stay in their own neighborhoods during remodels or between houses or between leases, allows temporary housing for new Austinites relocating to Austin, provides housing for visiting families, provides local businesses temporary housing for their employees that work near our neighborhoods, provides temporary housing for flood and fire victims, while allowing homeowners the ability to make additional income in order to help pay their increasing property taxes so they can continue to live in the Austin homes that they love. FAN does not support the policy that would ban Type 2 STRs in ADUs.
We want an STR in ADU. Keep us posted.