The Texas Senate Tuesday gave its approval to a bill that would overturn Austin’s rules governing short-term rental properties.

The bill, from Sen. Kelly Hancock, R- North Richland Hills, would bar cities from prohibiting short-term rentals and allow jurisdictions to regulate them only for health and safety purposes.

The fight over short-term rental properties, often listed on sites such as Airbnb or HomeAway, has been contentious in Austin, pitting neighbors complaining of party houses in residential areas against owners who say they provide a valid service. City rules passed last year place strict limits on capacity in such houses and phases out full-time short term rentals altogether by 2022.

Senators Larry Taylor, R-Galveston, Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and José Menéndez, D-San Antonio all attempted amendments to Hancock’s bill to exempt their own regions from the ordinance. Each argued separately that his region was a unique tourist area — for beach houses, music festivals and historic neighborhoods, respectively — and deserved to have regulations reflect that.

Those amendments all failed. Hancock noted that the bill still allows cities to regulate noise and health/safety issues.

"Most of the concerns we got were about noise, and we allow noise limits to stay in place," he said.

The bill will now move to consideration by the Texas House. Tuesday’s Senate vote came as Mayor Steve Adler was simultaneously testifying before the House Committee on Urban Affairs on a similar short term rental House ordinance. The mayor defended Austin’s ordinance.