Ordinance 2025-4097_short term rentals

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This article is adopted to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare within the city by providing neighborhood sustainability and preserving property values. Having current and reliable information about the owners of short-term rentals will allow the city to provide those owners with timely information on the condition of their properties and emergency contact information, to ensure collection of hotel occupancy taxes, to protect the health and safety of guests of short-term rentals and to aid in enforcement of applicable ordinances and laws. By requiring the registration of short-term rental properties, the city council seeks to protect property values and to prevent property damage within the city limits. Sec. 22-501. - Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivation shall have the following meaning: Adult means an individual twenty-one (21) years of age or older. Advertise means the act of drawing the public's attention to a short-term rental in order to promote the availability of the residence for use as a short-term rental. Said advertising may be found in any medium, including but not limited to, newspaper, magazine, brochure, website, or mobile application. Agent means a person designated by the short-term rental operation in lieu of themselves as the 24-hour emergency contact for a lawfully operating short-term rental. Bedroom means a room designated and used primarily for sleeping and rest on a bed, air mattress, cot, or couch. Booking Service means any reservation and/ or payment service provided by a person or entity that facilitates a short-term rental transaction between an Owner and a prospective Occupant, and for which the person or entity collects or receives, directly or indirectly through an agent or intermediary, a fee in connection with the reservation and/ or payment services provided for the short- term rental transaction. City means the City of La Porte, Texas, and all areas within its corporate limits. City Council the City Council of the City of La Porte, Texas. Director or designee means the department(s) or division(s) of the city designated by the city manager to administer and/or enforce the provisions of this article and any person or persons designated by such a department or division to represent the department or division for said purpose. Dwelling means a building or portion thereof including a single-family dwelling, two-family dwelling, garage apartment, guest house or a unit in a multi -unit building, including an apartment, condominium, cooperative or timeshare, designed and used exclusively for residential occupancy, but not including hotels, motels or lodging houses. Guest means a person contracting with a short-term rental for use of a residential dwelling or premises as a short-term rental and the person's invitees at the short-term rental. 3