Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
-
-
Most Popular Stories
- Council members celebrate unanimous defeat of bill that proposed putting Austin under state control
- A once-banned type of building is back in favor – and the Planning Commission approves
- Eviction crisis spreads as affordability pressures worsen
- Audit shows former Austin Water employee directed search of boss’ inbox
- Austin churches answer prayers for affordable housing – by building it themselves
-
-
Discover News By District
-
-
Tag Archives: short term rentals
Music Commission shows support for STR agreement but delays recommendation to Council
The Music Commission voiced support Monday for the city to enter into an agreement with short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb, but opted to gather more information from staff and held off on making a recommendation to City Council over…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 6, 2022
Airbnb makes renewed push to reach STR agreement with City Council
Short-term rental platform Airbnb is pushing City Council to change its long-held stance against working with companies that help STRs to operate and, in the process, take business away from area hotels. A representative from Airbnb spoke to the Arts…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 28, 2022
State appeals court strikes down Austin rules on short-term rentals
A state appeals court has declared some elements of Austin’s rules governing short-term rentals unconstitutional, including provisions banning non-owner-occupied rentals and occupancy limits. In 2016, the City Council passed sweeping new regulations of short-term rentals, like those you find through…
Courts • By Matt Largey • Nov 27, 2019
Tourism Commission wants agreement between city, short-term rental companies
The Tourism Commission has asked City Council to change its long-held stance toward short-term rental platforms like Airbnb in favor of an agreement that would earn the city millions of dollars in new Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue each year. At…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 14, 2019
City finds almost 7,000 unregistered short-term rentals, with enforcement on the way
A vendor hired by the city to determine the number of short-term rental properties active on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO told the Austin Monitor there are close to 11,000 operators, with less than a quarter of them licensed…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 23, 2019
Short-term rental conference examines taxes, nuisances, compliance
Leaders of the national travel and lodging industry and local government officials involved in the evolving short-term rental economy will convene in Austin next month for what is believed to be the first-ever conference devoted to the issue. City regulators,…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 1, 2019
Subscribe to our newsletter
Texas lawmakers tried to take the reins from cities this session. The results were mixed.
For the last handful of legislative sessions, the Texas Legislature has had it in for Austin and other cities. GOP lawmakers who regularly thumb their noses at “big government”-minded efforts in D.C. have filed bills targeting city laws regulating everything…
Texas State Legislature • By Andrew Weber, KUT • May 31, 2019
Tourism Commission asks Council to pursue hotel tax collection on STRs
The Tourism Commission wants City Council to revisit and possibly make changes to its ordinance covering short-term rentals, with the goal of increasing the amount of Hotel Occupancy Tax coming into city coffers. The commission voted unanimously at this month’s…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 22, 2019
Austin defends its short-term rental rules before Texas lawmakers
Austin’s rules on short-term rental units – advertised on apps and sites like Airbnb and HomeAway – are under fire at the Texas Capitol. House lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on a bill that would override the city’s ban on properties…
Texas State Legislature • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Apr 5, 2019
Here are 3 ways state lawmakers could disrupt (or shore up) short-term rentals in Texas this session
For years, short-term rentals – the rooms, cottages, condos and homes on apps like Airbnb and HomeAway – have been the subject of lawsuits and hand-wringing on the part of regulators and people looking to rent out properties. Texas lawmakers…
Texas State Legislature • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Mar 29, 2019
As hotels and short-term rentals grow, a look at their impact on Austin
With Austin on pace to have more than 13,000 hotel rooms in the downtown core by 2020 – nearly double the number of rooms in 2014 – the construction of new chain and boutique hotels continues to have an impact…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 24, 2018
Taxes from unregistered short-term rentals sit unused
Millions of dollars in tax revenue from unregistered short-term rental properties sits unused because the city cannot collect it, according to Visitor Impact Task Force Chair James Russell. In 2016, City Council passed an ordinance to phase out Type 2…
