Sonoma County extends vacation rental moratorium while weighing additional regulations

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has prolonged a ban on new vacation rentals in several components of the county for up to yet another 11 months while it weighs additional rules for limited-time period rental properties.

In a exclusive general public meeting on Monday, the board in a 4/5 vote agreed to go on the county’s pause on issuing new holiday vacation rental permits in most places outside the house of area city limitations.

Officials say the moratorium is needed to avoid a run on permits before the board can make a selection on the proposed family vacation rental restrictions, which are meant to alleviate residents’ fears about sounds, public protection and housing availability. The new procedures could contain restricting the range of rentals permitted in certain neighborhoods and prohibiting new rentals in others.

The holiday rental moratorium, which was at first established to final 45 times, went into effect Might 10. When it was accepted, supervisors signaled they would be prepared to prolong the moratorium at the very least right up until they held a vote on the new holiday rental regulations.

That vote is set for Aug. 2, at which time the board may possibly make a decision to conclude the short term ban as the laws go into effect.

“Functionally, it is heading to go until we get the comprehensive ordinance,” said Bradley Dunn, coverage director with Permit Sonoma, the county setting up company.

The extended urgency ordinance can final until eventually Could 9, 2023.

The moratorium does not use to places along the coast that are controlled by the California Coastal Commission. The coastline would also be exempt from any long-lasting county caps on new rentals.

Supervisor David Rabbitt, who expressed reservations about extending the moratorium when it was to begin with permitted by a unanimous vote, on Monday cast the only no vote towards the extension.

Rabbitt mentioned the major reason he voted against extending the moratorium was because it follows a different momentary cap on trip rentals accredited by supervisors in summertime 2020. That moratorium however applies to particular areas of the Sonoma Valley and the decreased Russian River location.

Rabbit described moratoriums as a “nuclear option” for addressing land use difficulties, and he’s concerned extending the rental permit ban could go from point out limitations on area moratoriums.

“That is unacceptable to me,” Rabbitt said.

The trip rental restrictions the board is anticipated to look at later on this summer would only implement to unincorporated parts of the county. Proposals consist of capping limited-expression rentals to 5% of solitary-loved ones properties in some communities where by there are worries about defending obtainable housing inventory and preserving “neighborhood character.” Some other communities could see long-lasting prohibitions on new rental permits.

Furthermore, the board is thinking about a procedure to license holiday vacation rentals to make it easier to implement shorter-phrase rental rules. The county would also launch a 24/7 hotline to react to problems.

According to a modern financial study commissioned by the county, there were an estimated 2,459 neighborhood shorter-phrase rentals in 2021, generating up 2% of the approximately 138,945 solitary-family members properties in the county. About 1,485 of the rentals were being in unincorporated spots.

You can access Staff members Author Ethan Varian at [email protected] or 707-521-5412. On Twitter @ethanvarian