Petaluma rules on short-term vacation rentals getting further revision

The Petaluma City Council discussed late into Monday night an ordinance that would regulate short-term vacation rentals before sending the proposal back to city staff for fine tuning.

The city is attempting to address rental properties listed on websites like Airbnb and VRBO. The debate pitted vacation rental hosts, who say they rely on the supplemental income, against a group of residents concerned that the constant stream of tourists is spoiling the character of their neighborhoods.

The proposed regulations, crafted after several workshops and Planning Commission hearings, would require hosts to obtain a permit and notify neighbors. They would place limits on the number of guests and the number of days a whole house can be rented. The city stands to collect $85,000 annually in permit fees and hotel tax under the proposed regulations.

The council asked for more clarity on when a rental was considered hosted or nonhosted. Some listings on sites like Airbnb offer single rooms for rent in an owner-occupied house, while others offer a whole house for rent. What is less clear are the granny units and outbuildings that some owners offer for rent on their property.

Council members looked to define and regulate those properties, saying they don’t want to deplete Petaluma’s already sparse long-term rental inventory.

“Granny units set up as full apartments, that’s housing stock to me,” said Councilman Mike Healy.

About 20 residents addressed the council, the majority of whom were Airbnb hosts supportive of the regulations. Others concerned about noise and traffic in their neighborhoods wanted the city to ban short-term rentals as some cities, including Healdsburg and Calistoga, have done.

“The concern that the town is going to be swamped with tourists, I think is misplaced,” said Maurice Bowers, who has been an Airbnb host for two years.

Christina Gleason, who founded a group to fight short-term rentals called Protect Petaluma Neighborhoods, told the council that her quality of life has diminished since her neighbor started hosting short-term renters.

“I don’t think you understand how it impacts your life until it’s right next to you,” she said. “You kind of think it’s not your neighborhood anymore.”

City officials said they would tweak the ordinance and bring it back for the council to consider in the near future. In their comments, council members seemed to prefer a set of well-crafted regulations to an outright ban on short-term rentals or allowing them to operate unregulated.

“The concept of Airbnb is here to stay,” said Councilman Dave King. “The truck has left the yard on that.”

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Brown at 521-5206 or matt.brown@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MattBrownPD.