Subject: Galveston Short Term Rental Ordinance
Dear West End POAs,
On Thursday, January 11, 2015, the Galveston City Council passed a Short-Term Rental registration ordinance which goes into effect on March 1, 2015. GARM was involved in the discussions as the ordinance was developed, and many of the rules in this ordinance are ones long practiced by GARM companies. See the attached copy of the ordinance.
Major points include:
$50 first-time registration fee for each property
$25 annual registration fee for each property, for each subsequent year
Contact information for the property owner
24/7 Contact information for the property’s manager (if other than the owner)
Fines for violation of the ordinance.
The goal of this ordinance was for the City to know which homes are short-term rentals, to have owner and property manager contact information on file and to make sure that owners renting their homes are paying Hotel Tax.
The City plans an “education” campaign to ensure that all West End and in-town homeowners who are doing short-term rentals know about the new ordinance.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to call me at 409-797-5500.
Claire
President, GARM
