SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Late Tuesday afternoon, the San Diego City Council voted to pass a new ordinance to regulate short-term vacation rentals. Council members agreed that they will have continued discussions regarding some smaller matters that are included in the language of the ordinance. More than one hundred people called in over several hours during Tuesday's meeting to voice their opinions.
The city estimates that there are 16,000 local homes used primarily as vacation rentals. The new ordinance caps that amount at about 6,500 homes which is a little more than one percent of the overall housing supply with the biggest concentration in Mission Beach. Hosts will have to apply for licenses and the city will step up nuisance enforcement.
One caller stated, “We encourage the council to approve this measure. Tourism has changed in the face of COVID-19 and what is economic recovery going to look like? San Diego is a city that needs to be adaptable and short-term rentals provide an opportunity for our tourism industry to recover."
Another caller stated, “San Diego is facing a housing crisis. Short-term rentals take affordable housing off the market, raises homeless and raises housing costs disproportionately.”
Some callers expressed concern over the proposal. “If you must have a cap, please raise it and do not make it random. Prioritize us response owners. We do need a compromise but completely taking my right to do what I want with my own house is not a compromise,” one person said.
According to another caller, “The two things that I see missing from this ordinance that will make it almost unenforceable is any sort of platform accountability and data gathering from them, not only the TOT tax but who's listing the property and where.”
The ordinance is expected to take effect on January 1st, 2022.
