DENVER — The owner of a property has been charged with operating an illegal short-term rental business, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office.
Spencer Chase, 46, is the fourth individual charged by the Denver District Attorney’s Office for violating Denver's municipal code that requires the owner of a short-term rental (STR) to live at the location being rented as their primary residence.
Chase submitted an application for a short-term rental at 1117 South Milwaukee Street in April under his name. The following day, he submitted another application for the same address under the name of “Palm Tree Venture Capital LLC, the Denver DA's office said.
An employee of Spencer emailed Denver Excise and Licenses. In the email, the employee wrote that Chase owns 12 rentals under his company.
The employee acknowledged that the limit for short-term rentals was one property, but, asked if Chase could rent the South Milwaukee Street property for several months even though Chase did not live there.
Denver Excise and Licenses staff replied that the property needed to be the primary residence of the applicant, according to the DA.
That email exchange prompted inspectors to speak with neighbors of 1117 South Milwaukee Street who concluded that Chase did not live at there.
Excise and Licenses investigators then sent Chase a Primary Residence Affidavit which he completed, notarized and returned on June 11, 2019.
Chase is charged with one count of attempting to influence a public servant for making a false statement in the signed and notarized affidavit. according to the DA.
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