Tag Archives: Austin Code
Former Code director's delay put STR renewals in limbo
The former Code Department Director Carl Smart’s decision to pause judgment of several appeals from Type 2 short-term rental owners became clear over the course of the July 26 meeting of the Building and Standards Commission, over a year after…
The Code • By Joseph Caterine • Aug 3, 2017
Short-term rentals under scrutiny as SXSW kicks off
The Austin Code Department has started its annual tradition of stepped-up monitoring and enforcement of regulations covering short-term rental businesses, the official policy name for homeowners who rent out extra rooms to tourists visiting for the South by Southwest festival.…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 10, 2017
East Austin theater at the center of code dispute
The Austin Code Department is responsible for making sure land is used for its intended purpose. So what happens when land-use rules are broken? One East Austin theater at the center of a code dispute is finding out the answer…
Austin • By Syeda Hasan • Aug 30, 2016
City contract hopes to protect tenants who speak up
Black mold and a stack of documents Legal notices and lease copies blanketed a plush beige couch in a North Austin apartment. Rebekah Jara rummaged through the papers. Lawyers had urged her and her fiancé, Juan Aranda, to keep copies…
The Code • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Aug 16, 2016
Viral news proves a mixed bag for Great Outdoors
Tom Tinguely, owner of the Great Outdoors nursery on South Congress, wants everyone to know that he is working through issues with the city’s Development Services and Code departments and that the business is fully operational. That’s important, because when…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • May 10, 2016
Code Department slammed (again) in city audit
The department charged with policing overgrown grass, short-term rentals and illegally discarded junk fails to follow a consistent protocol for overseeing violations and does not enforce violations with equal fervor on city-owned property, reads a report from the Office of…
City Hall • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Apr 11, 2016
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Nursery owner fears city will force closure
The website for the Dawson Neighborhood Group warns in bold letters, “Dawson Neighborhood Poised to Lose Another Beloved Business! Help the Great Outdoors!” The site urges readers to contact the offices of Mayor Steve Adler and City Council Member Pio…
The Code • By Jo Clifton • Mar 25, 2016
Code says STR licenses are a strain on staff
Short-term rentals such as those listed on Airbnb and HomeAway are a hot-button issue in Austin, and the city is at work trying to fix the problems that residents have drawn attention to in the past several months. Austin Code…
Housing • By Tyler Whitson • Oct 7, 2015
Code budget talk quickly turns to STRs
City Council managed to tear through budget presentations for seven city departments yesterday. Of those, the Code Department seemed to bear the lion’s share of scrutiny, with the promise of more to come. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all if…
Budget • By Elizabeth Pagano • Aug 11, 2015
Report: Dangerous rental properties threaten tenants, city efforts remain “inadequate”
The city of Austin is failing to identify unsafe rental properties, failing to effectively monitor properties with repeated code violations and lacks the enforcement mechanisms needed to quickly address dangerous conditions at repeat offender properties. Those are the conclusions of…
Development • By Jo Clifton • Jul 27, 2015
Code working weekends on STR problems
Members of Austin’s Code Compliance Department are working overtime on weekends trying to deal with complaints about short-term rental properties that are making life unpleasant for people in surrounding neighborhoods. However, a memo from department Director Carl Smart shows a…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Jul 13, 2015
City to temporarily strengthen STR enforcement
This month, the city will launch a pilot program for enhanced code enforcement for short-term rentals. The stepped-up enforcement is a response to increased complaints about short-term rentals and growing concerns about their regulation. During the pilot program, members of…
