Council committee hears public testimony on short-term rentals

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A city council planning committee met Friday afternoon to discuss the hot topic of vacation rentals.

The “Smart Growth and Land Use” committee heard public testimony about how to address the issue of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods.

The issue of vacation rentals in San Diego developed in recent years as more property owners are offering to rent their homes for a few days or even up to a month through sites like “Air BNB.”

The city currently has very few regulations on the rentals. Property owners just have to pay room taxes and a rental unit business fee.

City officials and home owners now want clarification of these rules.

Many residents, especially in the beach areas, say their quality of life is suffering because of noise partying and overcrowding from renters.

But owners are saying they haven’t had many problems with their guests and they need extra income to keep up with housing costs.

The committee could now propose amendments to the current regulations for short-term rentals which would then have to be approved by the full city council.