ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) - The city of Encinitas is revamping its rules and regulations for short-term rental properties like Airbnb.
After hours of public comment, the city is having staff revisit the proposed ordinance after hearing from short-term rental owners.
“We are trying to make things better so that we are not going to have too many vacation rentals in our city, and we are also to control for quality-of-life issues,” Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear said.
The city brought forward their proposed ordinance for short-term rentals going forward
City council members listened to hours of public input on what the ordinance should do on Wednesday night. One of the speakers was Carol Hyde, who says she lays down the law of her land to anyone looking to stay there.
“I know who’s coming because I don’t accept what’s called automatic booking. They have to write me, let me know how many coming, where they’re coming from and what time they’re arriving,” Hyde said.
Blakespear told ABC 10News that staff is now reworking the previous ordinance; having more concern for short term rentals where the owner isn’t living on-site unlike Hyde.
“When it’s a whole home rental, we have had some problems, so we want to try to get in front of that,” Blakespear said. “Have better enforcement and then also we approved a three-night minimum.”
The city is also looking to cap the number of these rentals in Encinitas.
“And we also want to make sure that we don’t too much of our housing stock that gets covered into basically hotel rooms,” Blakespear said.
Change is coming to the short-term rental industry in Encinitas, and some are glad that their voices are being heard on what changes.
“Isn’t that part of what they are in office for? To try to listen what’s happening in the town and to the residents,” Hyde said.
The mayor says that the ordinance could be approved by council soon, maybe in a few weeks time.
