Owner of Indio rental property fined $1500 after fire
Just one day after a short-term rental home in Indio was burned to the ground, the property owner is now facing a fine.
Indio Police spokesperson Ben Guitron confirms to News Channel 3 that their investigation so far has determined that the owner was operating the rental without a license. City leaders suspended licenses for short term rentals unless owners meet certain criteria that the county has put in place.
The citation fine is $1500 dollars according to Guitron. This is the owner's first citation.
More: Neighbors concerned about rental property after fire
The flames broke out early Thursday morning in the home on Tranquility Drive in the Montage development, just around the corner of Avenue 49 and Madison Street in Indio.
The rental home, which is within the Montage East community near Madison Street, boasts a pool, fire pit, Jacuzzi, and six bedrooms.
A fire captain on scene told News Channel 3 at the scene that everyone inside the home was able to escape safely. The captain confirmed the residents were short term renters and the owner lives in Los Angeles.
Riverside County issued an order that limits short-term home rentals, hotels and motels to restrict business to novel coronavirus response only.
The order further states that no owner, tenant or marketing agent may rent or lease any short-term rental, vacation rental or timeshare.
The order was recently extended until June 19.
While News Channel 3's Jake Ingrassia was on scene reporting, the renters showed up on the property. Ignoring the fire department's red tag order not to enter, they retrieved their belongings inside.
When asked if they were aware of the countywide ban on short-term rentals, one man said he was not renting short-term.
He declined to answer a question about whether he was putting the community at risk.
"It's unfair, it's kind of selfish in a lot of respects," said a neighbor. "They are potentially causing harm to local residents."
Police are also investigating whether the renters meet the criteria to have been staying in a rental home.
News Channel 3 reached out to the company that manages the property. They declined to comment for this story.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
In letter, Indio's assistant city manager Rob Rockwell wrote, "any property found to violate this STR moratorium will be considered 'unregistered' and subject to citation and fines that begin at $1,500."
Anyone who needs to report illegal short term rentals in the city of Indio can either call the city or report it to the County on their app, Code enforcement from Indio will investigate.
