No Paso Robles city council meeting tonight. It was canceled. The council will meet again in two weeks, and will revisit the short term rental issue.
At the last meeting they reversed a previous decision to ban short term rentals in R-1 residential zoning. Mayor Steve Martin directed staff to develop a new ordinance which will be shared in two weeks.
The new ordinance will allow short term vacation rentals to continue in residential neighborhoods, although they have been banned in 28 other California cities including San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ojai, Carmel and Monterey.
Those who own short term rentals say that banning them just pushes the vacation rentals underground, but that’s not true. The ordinance banning STR’s in 28 California cities gives city officials the laws they need to enforce the ordinance. Neighbors turn in violators, who are fined or they may lose their property if they persist in violating the ordinance.