Skip to main content
austintexas.gov

Action Navigation

  • 3-1-1
austintexas.gov
Search

Main menu

Home
  • Resident

    Resident

    Open the Resident page
      Open the Resident page
    • Household
      • Getting a Home
      • Utilities
      • Trash and Recycling
      • Gardening and Home Improvements
      • Home Improvements
      • Pets and Adoption
      Open the Household page
    • Neighborhoods
      • Education
      • Libraries
      • Families
      • Neighborhood Issues
      Open the Neighborhoods page
    • Health
      • Animals
      • Public Health
      Open the Health page
    • Public Safety
      • Crime
      • Courts
      • Fire Safety
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Public Safety Employment
      Open the Public Safety page
    • Arts and Leisure
      • Arts, History and Culture
      • Outdoor, Nature and Wildlife
      • Events
      • City Venues and Facilities
      • Film and Music
      Open the Arts and Leisure page
    • Environmental
      • City Programs and Initiatives
      • Conservation and Recycling
      • Animals and Wildlife
      • Parks
      Open the Environmental page
    • Transportation
      • Car/Bus
      • Aviation
      • Bicycle/Pedestrian
      • Streets/Maps
      Open the Transportation page
    • City of Austin
      • About Austin
      • Voting and Elections
      • Get Involved
      • City Jobs
      • Records and Documents
      Open the City of Austin page
  • Business

    Business

    Open the Business page
      Open the Business page
    • Doing Business
      • Utilities
      • Doing Business with the City
      • Taxes
      • MBE/WBE Program
      • City Code
      • Food Establishments
      • Permits
      • Day Labor
      • Records and Documents
      Open the Doing Business page
    • Starting Out
      • Starting a Business
      • Relocating a Business
      • Incentives and Grants
      Open the Starting Out page
    • City Contracts
    • Small Business Centers
      • Small Business Development
      • Incentives and Grants
      Open the Small Business Centers page
    • Austin Center for Events
    • Nonprofits
      • Grants
      Open the Nonprofits page
    • Green Resources
  • Government

    Government

    Open the Government page
      Open the Government page
    • City Council
    • City Manager's Office
    • Boards and Commissions
    • City Council meeting information
    • City Hall
    • Jobs
    • Public Records
  • Departments

    Departments

    View full directory of departments

    Frequently Viewed Departments

      View full directory of departments
    • Visit
      • Airport
      • Visitors Bureau
      • Convention Center
    • Utilities
      • Austin Energy
      • Austin Water
      • Resource Recovery
    • Education & Recreation
      • Library
      • Parks and Recreation
    • Safety
      • Police
    • Other
      • Animal Service
      • Development Services
      • Economic Development
  • Connect

    Connect

      Open the Connect page
    • Share ideas online about improving Austin
    • Participate in the City
    • Sign up for email updates
    • City contact information
Austin Code employee taking a photo

The Austin Code Department (ACD) Advises the General Public to Remain Vigilant of Fraudulent Short-Term Rental Operating Licenses

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Programs
  • Media
  • FAQ

City of Austin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release Date: Nov. 05, 2020
Contact: Code Communications     512-974-9222    Email

AUSTIN – The Austin Code Department (ACD) Advises the General Public to Remain Vigilant of Fraudulent Short-Term Rental Operating Licenses.

Owners of Short-Term Rentals (STRs) are required to obtain an operating license annually (Ordinance No. 20160223-A.l). This law applies to all properties (including rooms and guest houses) rented for less than 30 consecutive days.

Recently ACD has noted an uptick in reported fraudulent Short-Term Rental licenses. Scammers often use valid-looking print outs of a license with official-looking letterheads, graphics, and other forms of fraudulent identifiers including false information. Additionally, an STR license is considered fraudulent if presented or used as a valid document when its current state is expired.

How to confirm a valid Short-Term Rental Operating License

  • Open Data Portal: Short-Term Rental Locations
  • Austin Build & Connect: Public Search (Operating License)

How to Protect Yourself

  • A Short-Term Rental license should be posted inside all Short-Term Rental properties. If it isn’t you can request to see a copy of the document.
  • If you are unsure of the validity of the document, you can confirm the status of the property use by searching the Open Data Portal or visit the Austin Build and Connect link above.

How to Report a potential scam

  • You may call our customer service Code Connect line at 512-974-2633.
  • Report to Austin Code Departments License and Registration Division at STRLicensing@austintexas.gov or call 512-974-9144 8 AM to 4 PM Monday to Friday
  • Report it to Austin 311 at any time

A general reminder that Austin Code will NEVER:

  • Ask for credit card or wire transfer information over the phone.
  • Demand immediate payments in person with cash, gift card, Bitcoin, or any non-traceable form of payment.

Share

City of Austin

Footer Menu

  • Get information or assistance
  • Site Map
  • Public Records
  • City Council Message Board
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Second Footer Menu

  • Visit Austin
  • City Directory
  • Jobs
  • Legal Notices
  • Privacy Policy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • RSS