Here are some Template emails for you to use to voice your concerns to City Council. Just cut and past the letter, add a few personal touches and done!
TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR EMAIL NOTICED:
- Send to each city councilperson individually. They will not read it if you send to all at once.
- Include your name and District
- Personalize the email to make it more meaningful.
CC Email #1 (Time to do something sensible)
Dear City Councilperson:
Since the courts have sided with STR owners, I am writing to ask that you consider eliminating the zoning on STRs and moving forward with a fair and sensible registration ordinance. Such an ordinance came out of the original City STR Task Force and should be reconsidered.
I have owned and operated a short-term rental for years. I pay HOT. I have no 311 or 911 calls. I run a good operation that my neighbors appreciate and use. I support my family with the extra income from my STR. It helps pay our property taxes and other expenses.
The City has spent well north of $3M of taxpayer money on this failed effort. It’s time to get serious about an ordinance that punishes the very few bad apples and allows the rest of us to continue to operate.
Thank you for your consideration.
CC Email #2 (Multi Family)
Dear City Councilperson:
While most of the uproar about short-term rentals seems to be about single-family neighborhoods, not much has been said about multi-family short-term rentals, particularly in high density areas.
High density, urban areas with high walkability scores are some of the most logical places to have STRs. Not to mention that we are located in the heart of Dallas’s downtown, Uptown, the Arts district, Medical district, Convention center district, Bishop Arts district, lower Greenville, Lakewood, Junius Heights, Knox Henderson, etc.
Please consider the appropriateness, convenience and the tourist dollars that these areas would receive by enacting a fair and sensible ordinance.
Thank you for your consideration.
CC Email #3 (Why are taxpayers paying for this)
Dear City Councilperson:
I have been keeping up with the short-term rental discussion in Dallas and was shocked to discover that the city has spent over $3M of taxpayer money on this failed effort!
That would pay for a lot of police officers, which is something that the voters have mandated.
I’ve heard repetitively that 80% of short-term rentals have no 311 or 911 calls. Why are we trying to shut them down?
It’s past time the city worked with the STR owners to come up with something that is fair and sensible. I am tired of having our taxpayer money wasted.
Thank you.
CC Email #4 (Time to do something sensible with data points)
Dear City Councilperson:
The City of Dallas has lost its court cases allowing short-term rentals to continue operating. I am writing to ask you to abandon the idea of a ban and return to the fair and sensible ordinance that was originally proposed after three years of hard work out of the City’s STR Task Force.
The original ordinance featured a 24/7 contact, 3 strikes, limits for occupancy, parking and noise, heavy fines and importantly, nights and weekend code enforcement. All of this was originally to be paid for by short-term rental owner/operators.
A few facts from City presentations/white papers:
- 80% of all STRs have zero 311 or 911 calls
- There are 3495 STRs in Dallas, <1% of all dwellings
- 3% of all STRs generate the most 311/911 calls, a total of 150
- The City has so far spent $1.4M to stand up the STR program in June 2023 and $1M a year to operate it, plus legal defense.
- STRs generate over $3M annually in HOT
Why are we wasting upwards of $3M of taxpayer money on this effort when we could go back to a registration ordinance with teeth, paid for by STR operators?
Thank you for your consideration.
