Highly-anticipated regulations on short-term rentals in the city of San Diego won't take effect in time for the summer season. The city council postponed a new law that would require property owners to have a license for vacation rentals.
The legislation, which was scheduled to take effect July 1, is now being pushed back. During Tuesday's city council meeting, council members voted 8-1 to change the effective date of the short-term rental regulation.
Under that short-term residential occupancy ordinance, whole homes and short-term vacation rentals would be limited to 1%, with the exception of Mission Beach where 30% of homes can be rented. For Mission Beach specifically, the boardwalk is lined with rentals, and San Diego resident Chris Lore wants it to stay that way.
“You know, again, I just think that people purchase these homes for investments. That’s their right to use them in that manner," Lore told NBC 7.
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Ocean Beach resident Chip Seymour disagrees. He says the lack of oversight is having negative impacts on the coastal beach town.
"I’d like to see a lot less of it so there’s a lot more ownership for people that are local and people that are for this community and not just people that are trying to make a quick buck," Seymour said.
Those rules that Seymour is hoping for are on hold.
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According to Venus Molina, chief of staff to councilmember Jennifer Campbell, the California Coastal Commission has to weigh in on the short-term rental regulations before a new date can be set.
"I’d like to see, obviously, limited to a certain amount because it’s at a point where we’ve lost a lot of community, as I mentioned before, where we’ve got certain pockets in our community where we’ve got so many Airbnb’s there’s just no buy into what everyone else is trying to do to make this a better place," Seymour said.
Neighbor Mario Flores doesn't want more regulations. He wants to keep things the way they are and let the economy reap the benefit.
“So, tourists dollars is tourists dollars, that’s a good sign, that’s good," Flores said. "That’s a benefit we have on the beach.”
It's a benefit that could soon face limitations for short-term rentals.
Molina said the city is actively meeting with the California Coastal Commission ahead of the hearing with the agency, which is set for March. The effective date of the short-term rental law will come after approval from the coastal commission, according to Molina.
