Napa Valley: Put a stop to illicit vacation rentals

We in Twentynine Palms and San Bernardino County in general are not the only folks that are wrestling with the Vacation Home Rental Phenomenon. The Napa Valley  has been systematically banning or restricting the illicit activity for more than a year. This after many of the same type that have come here to ply their trade caused citizens to band together to save their neighborhoods from what turned out to be “Party Central.” In some towns they have outright banned them and in others they have struggled with a way of getting these scofflaws to comply and still allow them to conduct their activity in very limited areas.

Put a stop to illicit vacation rentals-Napa Valley Register

While the effect of tourism on locals’ quality of life is a subject of ceaseless debate, it is surprising that one of the hot spots is Browns Valley.

Browns Valley is not terribly close to wineries, and is not within walking distance to downtown restaurants, either (unless you are the indefatigable Joe Keebler, seen chugging along First Street with newspaper in hand for years).

But a few years ago the city initiated a process by which homeowners could rent their homes on a short-term basis to vacationers. Several of those who took advantage were in Old Town, already a mixed-use area. Several others own homes on the quiet streets of Browns Valley.

Unfortunately, the city’s initial program was deeply flawed. The city issued licenses it didn’t oversee and made no meaningful effort to track tax revenue the vacation rentals should have provided.

To the city’s credit, once these problems came to light, administrators went about the hard work of fixing them. They met with vacation rental owners, neighbors and applicants. They drew up a strong set of rules governing the rentals, allowed property owners to plead their cases based on prior history, good conduct and so forth, then determined who could stay in business.

Dozens got the OK. A few properties did not. Two have sued or threatened to sue the city for taking away the right to operate as a business. This may simply be the cost of the city setting the appropriate boundaries.

Meanwhile, the same problem exists in the unincorporated part of the county, where there is no meaningful effort to get a handle on the situation. Vacation homes in rural areas routinely are listed on Web sites. The property owners do not collect or turn over transient occupancy taxes and do not seek business licenses.

One difference between the city and the county is that it is much easier to regulate matters in the city. Neighbors in Browns Valley or Old Town will report noise problems and nuisances. In rural areas, visitors are less likely to disturb anyone. In a sense, this lessens the urgency.

But the fact is, people operating illegal vacation rentals are hurting the legitimate hospitality industry and local taxpayers. The county needs to do the hard work the city of Napa has done to bring the operation of vacation rentals into compliance with the law.

Cactus Thorns has been online in one form or the other since 2001. What started as a personal blog documenting the corruption and lack of Due Process of the 29 Palms Community Development Department has turned into over these many years into a hugely popular Independent Alternative News Media Outlet. We have partnered with other media including The Desert Star Weekly, Joshua Tree Star, other blogs, indie media and an incredible staff of volunteer Reporters, Commentators and Opinion Makers to create one of the most read, honest and dependable alternative to the Local traditional Media services in the country. Thanks to you the reader we are in the 5% of most read sites in the World.

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Related posts:

1. Back To The Drawing Board For Vacation Rentals
2. Vacation Home Rentals back on the Planning Commission Agenda
3. Vacation Rentals: Same Story different location
4. Vacation Rentals not good in my neighborhood
5. Taking the “Roseannadanna” stance on Vacation Home Rentals

Tags: Illegal, nuisance, Property, property owners, san bernardino, san bernardino county, transient occupancy, transient occupancy tax, twentynine palms, vacation home rental, Vacation rental, vacation rentals