The Austin City Council voted last month to phase out some types of short-term rentals, but the battle over them didn't end there—at least not for District 3 Council Member Pio Renteria. The Austin Monitor reported today that the CEO of Turnkey Vacation Rentals, has filed an ethics complaint against Renteria over his role in the decision.
The new ordinance contains provisions for the phase-out of Type 2 rentals—those that are in residentially zoned areas and are not owner-occupied. Turnkey's Thomas J. Clark filed the complaint with the city's Ethics Review Commission last month, shortly before the council's vote on the ordinance, reports the Monitor. It states that Renteria's operation of a Type 1 (owner-occupied) short-term created a conflict of interest with his advocacy and vote on the issue, since presumably eliminating Type 2 rentals would create more business for the former.
Clark's complaint also alleges that Renteria operated his short-term rental for two years before registering it and that he therefore did not pay required fees and taxes during that period.
A spokesman for Renteria told the Monitor that the council member was out of town for a conference but intended to contest the complaint.