Petition to Enforce Plano City Code Prohibiting Boarding/Rooming Houses in Single-Family Neighborhoods Across Plano, TX

To: The City Council of Plano, Texas

We, the undersigned, residents and homeowners of Plano, TX, petition the City of Plano to immediately and consistently enforce its zoning ordinance that prohibits the operation of boarding and rooming houses in single-family zoned neighborhoods. As concerned citizens, we urge the City Council to prioritize this issue in order to preserve the character, safety, and value of our residential communities.

Background:

Hedge fund companies and property investment firms are buying homes in the City of Plano in single-family zoned neighborhoods and renting every room individually to separate tenants to generate as much rental income as possible from multiple tenants occupying a single property.

The property investment firm usually modifies the number of rooms for the property by turning studies, offices, game rooms, family rooms, or other spaces into bedrooms to maximize the number of rental opportunities from the individual property. They will also advertise parking availability for all tenants of the rooms in the property (3-10+) when parking is not specified on the street for this type of residence.

The City of Plano Zoning Ordinance

The Plano Zoning Ordinance defines a boarding/rooming house as a residence in which three or more rooms are rented by written or oral agreement. These establishments are prohibited from operating in single-family neighborhoods and are restricted to areas zoned for general office, light commercial, or downtown districts.

Despite this ordinance, over 40 illegal boarding/rooming houses have been identified via advertisements in roomies.com, roommates.com, padsplit.com. apartments.com, bungalow.com, zumper.com, and Craigslist, etc., across Plano zip codes, including 75093, 75024, 75024, 75023, and 75075. This trend is raising concerns among homeowners/residents, particularly in areas where single-family homes are meant to foster stable, long-term residency.

Issues and Concerns:

1. Violation of Deeds, Covenants, and Restrictions (DCRs): Many Plano subdivisions' DCRs explicitly prohibit the use of homes for commercial purposes and require them to be occupied by single families. Rooming houses operating in subdivisions with these DCRs in Plano violate these covenants, setting a dangerous precedent for future investor-driven boarding houses.

2. Negative Impact on Property Values: Homes in subdivisions where boarding houses operate may see decreased property values due to concerns from potential buyers about the high turnover and transient nature of such housing arrangements.

3. Disruption of Neighborhood Safety and Quality of Life: Boarding/Rooming houses in Plano have been linked to numerous issues, including:

o Drug activity

o Noise disturbances from tenants and vehicles

o Poor property upkeep and excessive trash

o Parking violations, including blocked fire hydrants and mailboxes

o High turnover of tenants, creating an unstable community environment

4. Increased Pressure on City Resources: The concentration of multiple short-term tenants in single properties places undue strain on local infrastructure and city services, including waste management and law enforcement.

Call to Action:

We call on the City of Plano to take immediate action to:

How You Can Help:

By signing this petition, you affirm your commitment to upholding Plano’s zoning laws, protecting the safety and character of our neighborhoods, and preserving the value of single-family homes in our city.