Encinitas to Hold Vacation Property Owners Responsibile for Rowdy Behavior
The City of Encinitas will fight rowdy vacation-home renters with a two-pronged approach, the City Council decided unanimously Wednesday night, according to an article by Angela Lau of the San Diego Union -Tribune
The article reports that one tactic is to introduce an ordinance June 28 that would hold owners of homes they rent out for 30 days or less – short-term vacation rentals – responsible for their renters' behavior.
Vacation rental owners would be required to curb noise, traffic, illegal parking, trash, and drug and alcohol use at their properties. Repeated violations over a 24-month period could cost homeowners up to $1,000. They also could temporarily lose the right to lease their homes.
The City Council is expected to adopt the ordinance July 12. However, there is a second tactic being considered ---to have the city consider a proposed ban on future vacation rentals. That ordinance was shelved earlier this year when staff planners at the California Coastal Commission objected to it. They had reasoned that restricting the number of vacation rentals would be equivalent to limiting the public's ability to enjoy the beaches.
At the time, city officials did not want to be turned down by the Coastal Commission, so they withdrew their application for approval of the proposed ban. It would have exempted bed-and-breakfast operations and vacation-rental owners who could prove they had already leased their homes.
This kind of news is always distubing for those of us who are in the vacation rentals industry. As responsible property owners , we have a responsibilty to make sure that our renters do not become a problem for the neighborhood in which our property is located. If we don't, the Encinitas situation is a good example what can happen.
