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Couple Allegedly Violates Denver's Rule On Short-Term Rentals, Faces Felony Charges

DENVER (CBS4) - If you are considering using a short-term rental to cash in on in Denver, you may want to take a good look at the guidelines. If you do not call the property home, you'll probably want to think again.

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A Denver couple faces felony charges after investigators say they lied to the city licensing agency. The city's short-term rental advisory committee brought up the case at a meeting Tuesday night.

George Mayl has been on the committee for nearly 10 years, after his neighbor's home was rented out full-time to on Airbnb.

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"It was a year and half of just sheer hell," he said.

Today, the city has nearly 3,000 active short-term rental licenses – and they require the owner actually live there.

Ashley Kilroy with Denver Excise and Licensing Department says it's a stipulation put in place to help protect Denver neighborhoods.

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CBS4's Karen Morfitt interviews Ashley Kilroy. (credit: CBS)

"We have heard loud and clear from our community what people love about Denver. We love our neighborhoods and our community, and we really worry about that house next door becoming a hotel," she said.

The city says they have heard about the complaints for a week regarding a rental where the owner may not actually be living in full time.

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Alexander and Stacy Neir (credit: Denver DA)

According to arrest paperwork, the Neir's were posting on YouTube about their new home in Stapleton, but signed a notarized affidavit saying two homes in west Denver were each a primary residence.

Mayl says it's cases like theirs that would gladly spend another 10 years working to deter.

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"We do it because there's half a million Denver citizens out there that like us to represent them and we are their voice."

CBS4 did reach out to the Neir's for their side of this story. Their attorney called back with a statement saying in part the charges are "a misguided and wrong-headed prosecution."

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