LEWISVILLE, Texas — Lewisville city council voted 4-3 Monday night to ban new short-term rental properties for one year. Already existing short-term rentals, council members stressed, will be able to continue operations.
The vote came one month after the council approved new regulations for short-term rentals; this temporary ban takes things a step further.
Council members who voted in favor said the 12-month hiatus will give city staff much-needed time to establish the best process to permit and regulate new properties.
Lewisville, like so many cities, has seen a big-time boom in short-term rentals, with an 80% increase since 2020.
Five speakers showed up to public comment to address the council ahead of the vote.
"The majority [of short-term rentals] are locally owned," one local relator said, in opposition to the ban.
"And a lot of times are a mom and pop who are trying to increase their income.”
Meanwhile, a handful of people in favor of the ban voiced concerns about trash, noise, and parking issues.
"It’s clear the citizens of Lewisville would prefer these not be in our neighborhoods," Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Kelly said ahead of the vote.
"I think we need time to look at this, see what’s happening, evaluate how the ordinance is working," Mayor Pro Tem William Meredith added.
But Councilwoman Kristin Green, who eventually voted against the temporary ban, pushed back.
“In an economy where everything has gone through the roof, the cost of housing, everything, I don’t feel like I should say I want to take this option off the table for someone who owns a home and needs some kind of short-term rental to rent out a room for a weekend or two a month so they can afford to stay in their home."
Councilwoman Ronni Cade also voted against the temporary ban.
"Data tells us what you may have seen on TV, it’s not happening here. What’s happening here is nuisance calls. Trash, noise, parking. We’ve not rolled up on one big house party. Not in Lewisville. That’s a fact," she said.
The council eventually voted 3-3. Mayor TJ Gilmore had the tiebreaking vote, pushing the final tally to 4-3 in favor of the one-year prohibition.
“I think we need the time to just get our feet under us as a city," he said.
"There are two sides to this property rights. There’s the neighbor right next to it, they’ve got rights too.”