King William homeowners ask for stricter rules on short-term rentals

City Council to vote on ordinance dealing with STRs; no date set

SAN ANTONIO – Homeowners in the King William Historic District are asking the city to impose stricter rules for short-term rentals in historic districts.

The King William Association has sent letters and spoken out against the draft ordinance dealing with short-term rentals. The proposed ordinance has not been voted on by the City Council.

Rose Kanusky said the community fought the same battle in the ‘90’s when bed and breakfast establishments started popping up. The situation with short-term rentals is worse, she said.

So far, the association said there are more than 40 short-term rentals in a neighborhood of about 1,000 homes.

“The problem is not any individual neighbor, it’s the cumulative effect of one after another impacting the neighborhood,” Kanusky said. “There is a limit on the number of the B&Bs that can exist in one block and that same limit should apply to STR.”

The group is asking the city to regulate short-term rentals by:

Allowing only Type I STRs in which the owner resides in the property that’s being rented

Limiting the number of rental units/bedrooms to maximum of two units/parcel

Requiring off-street parking

Banning all Type II STRs, which do not have the owner or host living on the property that’s being rented

Denying any grandfathering to existing STRs not in compliance with B&B restrictions

Banning outdoor amplified sound at STRs

The proposed ordinance draft will be heard in the zoning commission next Tuesday. A date has not been set when the City Council will vote on the ordinance.


About the Author:

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.