Video: Vacation rentals in the Palm Springs area are popular destinations during the pandemic.
Although many hotels are open, the influx of travelers to the Coachella Valley is creating an unexpected increase in demand for vacation rentals this summer.
Rodman Swanson, Wochit
Riverside County’s rules on short-term rentals of properties in Idyllwild-Pine Cove and the Temecula Valley wine region resulted in more than 500 cease-and-desist orders and $56,000 in fines in the first six months they took effect, according to a report the Board of Supervisors will review Tuesday.
As part of the Board’s policy agenda, the Transportation & Land Management Agency will submit its semi-annual report on STR provisions specifically for mountain and wine-growing communities.
Highlights of the compendium include the 539 cease and desist orders obtained against property owners between January and July, as well as the 5,392 complaint calls, 866 on-site inspections and traffic tickets totaling $56,000.
Agency officials are expected to answer questions from their supervisors regarding the types of complaints, resolutions, and budget impacts related to the responses of Department of Code Enforcement officers and deputies, particularly after hours and on weekends.
More: In Idyllwild, nearly half of the short-term rentals are under county jurisdiction. Some residents are fighting back
What are the restrictions on vacation rentals in the Idyllwild and Temecula areas?
According to the report, at the end of July there were 462 certified short-term rentals in Idyllwild-Pine Cove and 89 in Wine Country.
The cap for the Wine Country Zone, which currently has 998 residential units, is 105 STR lots. For Idyllwild-Pine Cove, it is 500.
The minimum age to apply for a short-term rental permit in Wine Country is 25. In the county’s other unincorporated communities, the minimum age is 21.
“The idea is to preserve the character of the communities,” TLMA Director John Hildebrand told the board when the caps were approved last November. “We set limits so that the character is preserved.”
A moratorium on the issuance of STR permits in the mountain communities and Temecula Valley was first implemented in September 2022 and then again last August to give the Planning Commission time to consider targeted changes to Ordinance No. 927. The commission’s final approval resulted in the matter being referred to the board for final consideration in November.
On October 18, 2022, the Town Council adopted a comprehensive regulatory framework for short-term rentals under the ordinance for most unincorporated communities. However, Supervisor Chuck Washington and TLMA officials advocated exempting Temecula Valley and Idyllwild-Pine Cove from the ordinance until specific issues related to enforcement at each location are resolved.
The ordinance requires a 500-foot separation distance, meaning all newly certified STRs must be at least that distance from the nearest residential home.
The revised regulation will require “responsible operators” and “responsible guests” of short-term rental properties to pay fines if a property is deemed a nuisance due to parties or other disturbances. Previously, only owners could be fined.
The framework implemented testing requirements to confirm that STR operators understand and are able to comply with district regulations.
The regulatory apparatus established under Ordinance No. 927 focused on occupancy limits, noise protection, parking allocations, and other health and safety regulations for STRs in response to the increasing problems arising from unlicensed vacation rentals.
According to TLMA, there are more than 1,200 licensed short-term rentals in unincorporated areas throughout the county, with the largest concentration in the Temecula Valley and mountain communities.
Short-term rentals are defined as residential properties that are rented for a maximum of 30 days and a minimum of two days and one night.
Owners are required to pay a temporary occupancy tax to the county.
