Mayor Kevin Faulconer has finally released his proposals for regulating short term vacation rentals in the city of San Diego – he is due to publicly release them Thursday, June 14.
According to today’s San Diego Union-Tribune, Faulconer’s proposal restricts short term rental units to only two per individual owner, with the huge exception of the entire Mission Beach community would have no restrictions.
Short term rental hosts would be allowed, under Faulconer’s proposal, to rent out their entire primary residence while they are not present for up to 6 months a year – plus the host is allowed one additional rental with no limits on the number of days each year.
There would also be a 3-night minimum stays for STVRs at the beaches and other coastal areas of San Diego – and downtown.
Under the proposal, there would be an annual licensing fee – which would not become effective for a year and half, January 1, 2020. The fee would be $949 per unit that’s rented out for less than 30 days. The funds generated be the fees would go towards hiring up to 16 new code enforcement positions, who would presumably be responsible for monitoring the market.
The Mayor’s supposed compromise solution allows unlimited home-sharing where the host is present and there would no annual fees (unless the home is 5 or more bedrooms).
A nightly fee of $2.76 per unit is being recommended which would go into a fund set aside for affordable housing.
Mission Beach rentals would be charged the annual fees but there are no restrictions on the number of licenses issued in that community.
Faulconer’s proposal calls for strict enforcement of the STVR regulations – which does include a “3-strikes” proviso where violators would lose their licenses for multiple violations of the rules, excessive noise and other nuisances.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Prepare to see these corporate operators create a separate LLC for each vacation rental.
So, individual houses are OK for vacation rentals, but apartment buildings aren’t? Those four units around the corner can’t be vacation rentals anymore?
Don’t be surprised, if the Mayor’s proposal passes, to see – all of a sudden all these family members, individuals each, and each allowed a rental unit. Got 4 units? No prob – we got 4 family members.
Oooh, unh-uh! This does not look like a compromise. It looks like the City granting carte blanche to operate as many STVRs as one wishes, as long as there is one shell corporation for every two that a person owns. It looks like allowing one and only one type of commercial enterprise within residential areas, with the City’s blessing. This looks like a wink and a nod, signifying “great work, keep the TOT pouring in”.
It also looks like to little and too late: too bad, Mission Beach! Ocean Beach could be written off, dismissed, just as easily, and in the near future, unless there is a REAL change!
Where are the proposed provisions for caps on number of permits within a community, respecting existing zoning uses, enforcement, fines for operating without permit, or outside the terms of permit, any so many others that could protect our neighborhoods? Why have we waited YEARS, only to receive this proposal?
Why do our neighborhoods have to be decimated so real estate investors can make their exorbitant profit. If this proposal passes we can say goodbye to OB Elementary, the Library, the Rec Center, the Town Council, the Holiday Parade and Chili Cookoff/Street Fair. And when visitors don’t come in droves between November and May each year, small local businesses that depend on residents year-round will close and the chains will move in. One dwelling unit with family occupancy should mean one STVR for up to four months. So-called investors can rent additional homes/units at a fair price to those who want to live in, and contribute to, our unique beach community.
One last point for those who believe that Mission Beach would collapse without 34 percent STR licenses. The growth of STRs in Mission Beach peaked in 2017 and has declined annually since until last summer. The area that has grown most rapidly is the downtown communities by 25 percent annually. It is the number one year around tourist area, so if there is one area that should have been carved out, it is there. The only, and I mean only reason Mission Beach was carved out was because of the owners of 710 Beach Rentals and Sea Breeze, Blaine Smith and Jona Mechanic, with support from AirBnB. Mission Beach does not have the highest rental rates, but does have the biggest trash and garbage problems, has by far the largest number of day visitors from other areas of SD, has major parking and traffic problems, and quite frankly has relatively poor aesthetics.