Housing

Another Dallas neighborhood is frustrated after a short-term rental brought dozens of people the smell of drugs and trash to their usually quiet neighborhood last weekend. A city councilwoman says the Dallas Police Department and code enforcement are investigating exactly what went on inside the home.

A realtor in Tarrant County who has helped hundreds of homeowners fight their appraisal bills is the subject of complaints by an official in the county.

The Dallas City Council took a significant step late Wednesday that could change the landscape of where short-term rentals are allowed in the city.

A North Texas family says they have a warning for anyone who's buying a home from a builder. Just days before closing on their forever home, their builder backed out. Turns out the builder's contract they were required to sign left them with virtually no protection.

It appears that council members are leaning toward prohibiting them in neighborhoods and only allowing them in the same areas as hotels. Dallas City Council members spent about four hours discussing how to handle short-term rentals in the city with the biggest questions surrounding how the city will respond if things get out of hand at a rental.

Data from rent.com shows the average for a two-bedroom in Dallas has jumped up 46% from last year. Other cities like Grapevine and Grand Prairie are seeing even bigger rent increases. Only one North Texas city saw a consistent drop in rent prices.

It's something the city has been talking about and not fixing for more than two years now. This time, the Dallas city manager addressed council members' questions directly.

Homeowners are fighting back, and Dallas County officials say they should. The Dallas Central Appraisal District says more than 170,000 homeowners protested their new appraisal values last year. This year — it could be even more.

What the city attorney revealed to council members on Wednesday is that if the city rushes to regulate STRs by creating a permit process, they could grandfather in STRs in single-family neighborhoods. So the city attorney recommended that the city consider where it wants STRs before starting to issue permits.

For those North Texans whose home value has jumped significantly, that could actually save them enough money to cover any tax hike.

While a North Texas state senator says lawmakers must come up with new legislation to help homeowners with climbing property taxes, some public policy groups say the state has extra revenue that can help.

A majority of North Texas home appraisals are increasing this year. That’s not really a surprise, but some homeowners are shocked at 50% increases in their home value.