Paso Robles City Council Approves First Reading of Short-Term Rental Ordinance

PASO ROBLES, CA – On June 5, 2019, after a five-hour public hearing, the Paso Robles City Council voted 3-0 to introduce for first reading a Short-Term Rental Ordinance. This ordinance includes input gathered since 2015 from numerous public meetings, two task forces, the Planning Commission, residents, visitors, and interested parties. Two of the Councilmembers (Councilmember Gregory and Hamon) had conflicts of interests and were required to step down from hearing the item, leaving Mayor Martin, Councilmember Garcia and Councilmember Strong to vote.

After hearing from 39 public speakers and dozens of written comments on Wednesday night, the Council considered three different versions of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance including versions from the Planning Commission, Short-Term Rental Task Force and an Alternative Version. Ultimately, City Council deliberations yielded a fourth version referred to as “Ordinance D.” After five failed motions, the City Council mustered three votes on the sixth motion to introduce Ordinance D, see details below.

The Ordinance must come back to the City Council for a second reading on June 18, 2019. The City Council is expected to approve a Short-Term Rental Permit processing procedure at the same meeting.

The Short-Term Rental Ordinance would establish zoning regulations for Non-Hosted Accommodations (“Vacation Homes”) and hosted Home Shares throughout the City. Currently the City has issued approximately 360 business licenses for short-term rentals that will be converted into Short-Term Rental Permits when the Ordinance goes into effect in the middle of July.

The key provisions of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance “D” are:

• Holders of existing Short-Term Rental Business Licenses must apply for a Short-Term Rental Permit when the Ordinance becomes effective.

• Sets maximum occupancy requirements for daytime and nighttime.

• Sets minimum on-site parking requirements, with an exception process for properties with limited parking.

• Creates a Good Neighbor Brochure for renters and notifications of neighbors within 50 feet of the short-term rental.

• Creates a complaint resolution Hotline with the 30-minute response requirement.

• Creates a 24-month phase out of all Non-Hosted Short-Term Rentals in the R-1 zone. Home Share permits are not restricted in any zone including the R-1 zone.

• Sets a maximum cap of 250 Non-Hosted Short-Term Rental Permits outside of the R-1 zone. Home Share permits are not restricted.

• Expands the definition of Home Shares to allow a home to be rented without the owner present for a maximum of 30 days annually.

Following City Council approval of the second reading of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance on June 18th, the Ordinance would become effective in the middle of July 2019. The first day to submit applications for a Short-Term Rental Permit would be July 19, 2019.

Warren Frace

Community Development Director

805/237-3970

wfrace@prcity.com