Short Term Rentals the topic for a workshop last night at the library conference room. The second workshop of the week for the city of Paso Robles. Community Development Director Warren Frace says it was a workshop week this week.
Again, that’s community development director Warren Frace talking about the ordinance on Short Term Rentals. About 60-75 people attended last night. People also participated on Zoom. About a dozen called in from local homes or from out of town. Most of the call ins were in support of Short Term Rentals. Most identified as owners of STR’s in the city of Paso Robles.
Many California towns and cities have banned Short Term Rentals, especially in residential zoning. Cities to ban or restrict Short Term Rentals are too numerous to list. But they include San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, St. Helena, Seal Beach, Temecula, San Diego, Rancho Mirage, Pacific Grove, Tiburon, Truckee and Yountville. Too many to list.
In Paso Robles, one city councilman is heavily involved in the local Short Term Rental industry. The mayor receives financial and campaign support from the Short Term Rental lobby.
Across the US, the Short Term Rental industry is changing. The Wall Street Journal published an article in February of this year about big investors getting into the industry. Investment firms are buying more vacation homes to cash in on the Short Term Rental business. Avant Stay, Inc. buying about one half billion dollars in homes to use as Short Term Rentals. It’s operated by parent company Saluda Grade, which is a New York investment firm.
Opponents to Short Term Rentals complain about the noise, the traffic and the loss of homes that used to house families, that have become party houses for visitors from urban areas and the San Joaquin Valley. The city says there are 365 Short Term Rentals in Paso Robles, although one industry expert says the number is closer to 550, but that many STR owners fly under the radar so they don’t have to pay the Transient Occupancy Tax.
The city says 6% of the homes on the west side of Paso Robles are now Short Term Rentals. Critics say that’s impacting a lot of otherwise quiet west side neighborhoods. And it’s also impacting schools and preventing families and individuals from buying permanent homes in Paso Robles.
The Short Term Rental ordinance expires August sixth. The issue will soon be going before the planning commission before it goes back before the city council in July.