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How big of a business is Airbnb in North Texas? Try $64 million – in 2018 alone

The numbers for 2018 are in, and Airbnb says it is seeing steady growth in North Texas. As that happens, so does talk in several cities on how to regulate short term rentals.

DALLAS — If you’re looking to time travel for under $200 a night, this is the rental for you.

Jeremy Turner is an entrepreneur who, with his wife, rents out one of the most talked about Airbnbs in Dallas — The McFly. 

"We started our first Airbnb about five years ago," Turner said. 

Today, they operate two rental units in their Dallas duplex. In the growing short term rental market, Turner bet on a theme to make his second listing stand out. 

"I wanted to make it more of an interactive kind of place," he said, while sitting in what is now his 80s childhood come to life. 

There's a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade game. A cereal buffet. A framed poster of a DeLorean. 

The idea worked.

Renting out this space is a lucrative business for the couple. It's also lucrative for roughly 5,000 of your neighbors in North Texas who make money opening their homes to Airbnb. 

The numbers are in, and the company said that in 2018, North Texas hosted 466,000 guests, bringing in $64 million dollars in supplemental income. 

Dallas County renters pulled in the most, making more than $37 million. Tarrant County is next at $13.7 million. Collin County renters pulled in $5.7 million, and listings in Denton earned $2.8 million.

But money isn’t everything, according to former Arlington city councilman Charlie Parker. He's calling for more oversight. 

RELATED: Richardson woman living in fear over Airbnb nightmare

"Who are these renters that are going to be there for two days?" Parker said.

He’s part of a group petitioning his city to make sure short term rentals are paying the taxes they should, and only operate in certain areas, like the entertainment district.

"We’re saying there is a place for short term rentals in our city, and it’s not in our residential neighborhoods, per say," Parker said.   

Many cities are discussing what those rental regulations should look like. In the meantime, people like the Turners will keep cashing in.

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