Short-term vacation rentals becoming hot topic in Palm Desert
Nearly 1,300 registered vacation rentals in Palm Desert generated more than $1,000,000 in tax revenue for the city. However, aware of the controversy vacation rentals have caused in Palm Springs, the city issued a temporary moratorium on new rentals in January.
Since then, residents have stayed busy, with people who are against them signing a petition and those who are for it, working on a draft ordinance.
“The music comes from the house down below there on the corner and it just amplifies right up the hill here,” David Toltzmann told KESQ News Channel 3’s and CBS Local 2’s Katie Widner.
Toltzman retired to Palm Desert two years ago. He said almost every weekend now, there is an issue.
“Typically, the stereo system blasting, pool parties, you know? And we’ve had them as late as 2 in the morning. Backyard barbecues with 20 people,” he explained.
This is happening during the one-year moratorium the city has placed on new rental permits, which Toltzmann said, has him worried.
“They want to lift the moratorium come December so they can allow this to start happening again. They can’t even control the unpermitted, ones let alone the permitted ones,” said Toltzmann.
Nevertheless, city staff has drafted an initial version of an ordinance that was debuted at the last City Council meeting .
“The city has made a very good effort with the council people involved and with staff to get a lot of community input,” said Jim Pearce, the general manager of Fairway Vacation Rentals, who has been to nearly every meeting on the matter.
The draft falls along the lines of enforcement, increasing some of the requirements on property owners, such as meeting renters at the property before handing over the keys. It also gives the city a 24-hour staff to answer complaints. Paul Herrera, a member of the ad hoc committee and also the government affairs director for the California Desert Realtors Association, said he thinks it is all about accountability.
“We want to see the city have the resources needed to hold accountable those short term rental owners who don’t manage properties well,” he said.
However, some homeowners said they feel the only option is to not allow it at all.
“The best thing to do is to try and stop it so we don’t become a neighborhood of party houses,” Toltzmann said.
A petition, started by a local resident, has reportedly garnered more than a thousand signatures.
The city anticipates the vacation rental issue will come before the planning commission in September and then will move to the City Council in early October. The next City Council meeting is Thursday, August 24. No more ad hoc committee meetings have been scheduled.
