City Council Member Don Zimmerman and Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo have finally found something they can agree on: The city’s current regulations of short-term rentals and their enforcement are, as Zimmerman put it at Thursday’s Council meeting, “a train wreck.” However, Council moved forward Thursday on tightening up those regulations but did not take […]
short term rentals
Properties rented for fewer than 30 days.
Posted inCity Council
Committee forwards short-term rental changes to Council
Testimony stretched for more than four hours. Members of the City Council Planning and Neighborhoods Committee dug into the first public hearing Monday on more than a dozen recommendations made by Council Member Sheri Gallo about how the city should amend its short-term rental regulations. At the end of a marathon meeting that closed early […]
Posted inThe Code
Council committee will consider “parallel” changes to short-term rental ordinance
City staff has been whittling down an assortment of 123 suggested changes to the city’s ordinance on short-term rentals. The result, sent in a memo on Thursday to Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members, is a list of 13 recommendations, including a penalty for those operating with an expired short-term license and a requirement […]
Posted inBudget
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 this part of the budget doesn’t come back several times over the course of the […]
Posted inAustin
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 great deal of effort resulting in little enforcement. According to Smart, during the first weekend […]
Posted inAustin
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 Austin Code, Police and Fire departments will team up with Austin 3-1-1 to perform “proactive […]
Posted inCourts, Development
New lawsuit adds to sour feelings in Swede Hill’s Patch House saga
The owners of a controversial house in East Austin’s Swede Hill neighborhood are taking their fight with the city to a Travis County district court. Last week, lawyers for Blake and Toria English filed a suit against the city of Austin and Austin Energy seeking an injunction against threats to shut off power and orders […]
Posted inThe Code
Neighbors lose fight against metal building
There was sympathy on the dais, but last week District 10 residents lost a City Council appeal against a building constructed without a permit. Though some Council members openly expressed regret about the decision, they voted 6-3-1 to deny the appeal. Council Members Leslie Pool, Ora Houston and Ann Kitchen voted in approval. Mayor Pro Tem […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Local Politics, The Code
Audit finds short-term rental enforcement lacking
Members of the Council Audit and Finance Committee learned Monday that, though the city has had success in bringing illegal short-term rentals into compliance, those that do not come into compliance are falling through the cracks. On a positive note, a city audit found that the Code Department had been largely successful at bringing unlicensed […]
Posted inDevelopment
BoA wrangles over short-term rentals in North University
Undeterred by a lack of neighborhood concern, the Board of Adjustment continued its fight against short-term rentals in the North University Neighborhood Monday night. Though the board approved a variance at 204 West 33rd St., they attached a condition that the house would not be used as a Type II Short-Term Rental. The variance […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council members approve changes to Short-Term Rental Ordinance
City Council approved tweaked regulations to the Short-Term Rental Ordinance that they hope will help smooth out the process, with debate over the issue Thursday turning out to be less contentious that many had expected. They voted 6-1 to approve the changes to the ordinance, with Council Member Kathie Tovo in opposition. The […]