Columbus City Council last night approved legislation requiring owners of short-term rental properties to submit to a state criminal background check before being issued a permit.
Sponsoring Council member Rob Dorans says the city allowed booking websites like Airbnb to conduct their own background checks, but there are variables a state check will address:
At least 22 hundred properties are affected. The legislation applies to owners, and potentially property managers and maintenance workers. Council also approved spending 315 thousand dollars to assess and improve the city's neighborhood safety camera program's infrastructure. And George Speaks with the Department of Public Safety said officials are considering expanding the program:
The program was launched nine years ago.
