CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi City Council will discuss a new ordinance on Tuesday that would look to regulate short-term rentals.
This ordnance is something new to us in Corpus Christi but has been implemented in San Antonio and Galveston.
While it is in the formative stages of development, there's already talk about what it could mean if approved.
“An ordinance like this, it really does touch homeowners and private property rights that we have the opportunity to have a seat at the table,” said Elky Gonzalez, CEO of the Corpus Christi Association of Realtors.
Private property rights is the main concern for Gonzalez and the 1,800 members of the Corpus Christi Association of REALTORS.
It currently is a subject of concern when it comes to short-term rentals.
“Right now, all the ones that have been operating locally are basically not under a legal status,” Corpus Christi District 3 Councilman Roland Barrera said.
The solution, Barrera says, would be for the city to regulate these short-term rentals that could be listed on platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo among others.
“If someone is going to operate a short-term rental then they’re going to have to register with the city," Barrera said. "So that way we have a registry and that's a cost of I believe $50 a year."
Barrera says that's meant to collect the revenue on what is considered a hotel tax and avoid nuisance issues.
It's something the Association of Realtors says it supports as long as they're heard.
“The registration fee as long as it is a limited fee then we want to work with council to make sure that this is something that works for our homeowners,” said Gonzalez.
If you are a short-term rental property owner and want to learn more, Gonzalez advises to first get involved and understand how you can be a good short-term renter and follow the guidelines currently set in place.
