West Marin county residents battle over limits on short-term rentals
STINSON BEACH – In Marin County, residents are divided in a battle over property use as lawmakers are trying to cap the number of short-term rentals (STRs) in their communities.
Supporters argue unlimited rentals offered by websites like Airbnb drive up home prices and push residents out. Opponents disagree, saying it's a ploy to keep outsiders away from their towns.
Access to the coast, and places like Stinson Beach is driving Rachel Dinno Taylor to push back against capping the number of short term rentals in Marin County.
"By limiting them, the county will drive the cost up to the visitors who want to come here," said Dinno Taylor.
Dinno Taylor rents out her West Marin home about 35 nights a year, but is concerned homeowners like her won't have that option anymore and that local jobs will also be negatively impacted.
"This is being driven by a small group of residents who wish to keep visitors away," said Dinno Taylor.
She believes it's the "not in my backyard" attitude that's driving lawmakers to introduce hard restrictions for the first time, on the number of short term rentals allowed.
"The county has been working for decades to make Marin inaccessible," saidDinno Taylor.
"We're looking at the incremental creep of losing homes. That's really what's impacting our community," said Marin County supervisor and board president Dennis Rodoni.
Rodoni is spearheading the charge to regulate the industry.
"We're not blaming short-term rentals for all the problems we're having around housing supply," said Rodoni.
Rodoni and homeowners in support of the proposed ordinance believe unfettered STR's can lead to an exodus of residents, as more properties are converted to accommodate vacationers and ultimately changing the character of towns.
"If we don't have a short term rental will it become a permanent residence? We're not sure. There's certainly anecdotal evidence that it won't and it may become a vacant home. We're fully aware of that," said Rodoni.
"There's no data showing that if you limit the vacation home use, that you will create long-term workforce housing," said Dinno Taylor.
Opponents of the ordinance argue coastal towns historically have consisted of homes rented out to vacationers.
But proponents say the surge in STR's is expanding into outer towns too.
"If you're a young family who has to vacate West Marin because you no longer have a home, because it's been sold, it's really hard. You can't find another place. It means you have to move out of the community," said Rodoni.
Homeowners like Dinno Taylor are now hoping state regulators will deny the county's proposed caps.
"We believe that the Coastal Commission has always fought for people to have access to the coast and that they will. They will want to have the county justify such a taking of a use," said Dinno Taylor.
The fight over property use isn't over just yet.
The California Coastal Commission will have final approval after county supervisors just voted in favor of hard caps on short-term rentals.
A decision by the CCC is expected sometime in March.
A recent county survey showed a fairly even split with 45% against the ordinance and 41% in support of capping STRs.
