Short-Term Rental Task Force

Information regarding applying for a short-term rental permit is available on the City's website here.

July 16, 2019 UPDATE:

The City Council approved the Short-term Rental Ordinance (Ordinance 1082), which sets requirements for operating both non-hosted accommodations and homeshare rentals within the City.  At the same time, a cap was placed on the number of short-term rental permits available and the cost of permits (Resolution 19-077).

June 18, 2019 UPDATE:

After 30 public meetings over 4+ years, called by the Short-term Rental Task Force, the Planning Commission, and the Council itself, the Council decided not to adopt the version of the ordinance for which it held first reading on June 5. The new version, which will come forward for first reading on July 16, 2019, is based on the proposal developed by the Short-term Rental Task Force, with some of the amendments developed by the Planning Commission.  It would grandfather all existing non-hosted accommodations in the R-1, and seek to reach a maximum of 75 in the next three years.   It requires the Council to review the status of the industry in one year and two years from now, and specifies that the ordinance will expire if not modified or replaced in three years.

June 5, 2019 UPDATE:

On June 5, 2019, after a five-hour public hearing, the Paso Robles City Council voted 3-0 to introduce for first reading a Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Click here for the press release outlining the details of the ordinance.

May UPDATE: 

The City Council is scheduled to hear the first reading of the  Short-Term Rental ordinance on the June 4, 2019 agenda, with the public hearing to take place the next day on June 5, 2019.

The key provisions of the ordinance are:

• Holders of existing business licenses must apply for a short-term rental permit

• Maximum occupancy requirements

• On-site parking requirements

• Good neighbor provisions and notifications

• 30 minute complaint Hotline process

• Separation requirements in the R-1 zone

• Maximum caps on the total number of short-term rentals in the City by zones.

If the City Council takes action on the Short-Term Rental Ordinance, the Ordinance would become effective in the middle of July 2019. The first day to submit short-term rental permit applications would be July 18, 2019. Agenda will be posted here on Friday, May 31, 2019.

April 23, 2019 UPDATE: The Paso Robles Planning Commission reviewed the draft short-term rental ordinance at their regular meeting. Staff Report with Draft Ordinance

Prior to the meeting, the City Attorney determined that any Commissioner living within 500 feet of a short-term rental business license had a conflict of interest.

Consequently, only Commissioners Donaldson and Castillo were eligible to vote on the item.  In order to establish a quorum, the conflicted Commissioners drew straws to determine which two additional Commissioners would hear the item.  Commissioners Koegler and Jorgensen were selected to stay and the other Commissioners left the room.

The Planning Commission heard from 20 members of the public.  During deliberations the Commission agreed the following issues needed more staff analysis:

1.    Revisit more restrictive on-street parking restrictions with different R-1 requirements

2.    Revisit more restrictive occupancy standards 

3.    Expand the neighborhood noticing requirement to 300 feet

4.    Establish fines for first and second violations

5.    Prohibit exterior signs for short-term rentals

6.    Consider options to force a reduction of the number of R-1 short-term rentals and analyze the logic of the 100 permit cap in the R-1 zone.

The Commission voted 4-0 (Castillo, Donaldson, Koegler and Jorgensen) to continue the item to the 5/14/19 Planning Commission meeting and refer the six issues back to staff for additional analysis.

AGENDA PACKETS

• 2/27/2019
• 3/6/2019
• 3/13/2019
• 3/20/2019
• 3/27/2019
• 4/3/2019
• 4/10/2019
• 4/17/2019

The Paso Robles Short Term Rental Task Force was created in 2016 to examine the issue of short-term rentals (also referred to as “vacation rentals”) and reconvened in February 2019.  

On February 19, 2019 the City Council requested that the Short-Term Rental Task Force review and update the draft ordinance created by the original task force and present their recommendation to the Planning Commission within 60 days. 

The Task Force met every Wednesday at 10:00 AM from February 27 through April 17 in the City Council Chamber at 1000 Spring Street.

BACKGROUND AND TIMELINE

• Spring 2015 City Council requests the formation of a task force to discuss growing community concerns about the impacts of vacation rentals within the city limits
• August 2015 the Assistant City Manager prepares a Short-Term Rental Outreach Plan that called for (1) a Focus Group meeting of short-term rental operators; and (2) a public workshop
• September 23, 2015 staff hosted a Focus Group meeting that was attended by five local short-term rental operators
• November 4, 2015 the City hosted a short-term rental community workshop in Council Chamber attended by a standing-room-only crowd that appeared to be a balance of operators and concerned neighbors. Meeting summary 
• March 1, 2016, the Council approved a new Assistant Planner position, to provide staff resources to track short-term rentals in the City and ensure compliance with the City’s transient occupancy tax provisions
• March 15, 2016 the City Council considered a Short-Term Rental Policy update report and authorized the City Manager to form an advisory panel consisting of operators and neighbors to work collaboratively with staff on policy recommendations for the City Council’s consideration
• April 21, 2016 following a public application process, the City appoints 7 people to the Short-Term Rental Task Force. Roster
• May-September 2016 Short Term Rental Task Force begins monthly meetings to review short-term rental issues and explore potential policy options. Agendas and minutes
• September 9, 2016 the Short-Term Rental Task Force recommended a draft Short-Term Rental Ordinance and a Statement Concerning Density of Short-Term Rentals to the City Manager for consideration. 
• January 31, 2017 City Council held a public workshop to review the short-term rental task force recommendation
• September 9, 2017 the Short-Term Rental Task Force was reconvened to review the revised draft ordinance 
• October 10, 2017 the Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider the proposed short-term rental ordinance and continued the hearing to October 24, 2017 
• October 24, 2017, the Planning Commission reconvened the public hearing and voted 5-0 (Barth abstained, Rollins absent) to recommend the City Council approved the proposed ordinance 
• November 7, 2017 City Council considers draft Short Term Rental ordinance, opts not to adopt it
• Summer-Fall 2018 ongoing conversations about vacation rentals and affordable housing happening in the community and at public meetings
• January 3, 2019 City opens applications to fill two openings on the Short Term Rental Task Force prior to reconvening.
• January 8, 2019 Planning Commission discusses Short Term Rentals, recommends Council pass an urgency ordinance. Agenda
• February 5, 2019 City Council passes an urgency ordinance at the recommendation of the Planning Commission. Agenda item
• February 8, 2019 the City Manager appoints Danna Stroud and Scott Laycock to replace the two non-returning Task Force members.
• February 19, 2019 City Council repeals urgency ordinance for Short Term Rentals due to a potential conflict of interest. Agenda item
• February 19, 2019 City Council declines to pass Short Term Rental Ordinance as drafted, asks the Task Force to study the issue in more depth and bring their recommendation to the Planning Commission within 60 days. Agenda item
• February 27, 2019 the re-instituted Short Term Rental Task Force's first meeting. Agenda