Short Term Rentals - Where do you stand?
Betty Hill from the organization Save Dana Point reached out to us and wrote the following article about the short term rental situation in Dana Point. This has been a hot topic in Dana Point for almost a decade now and it looks to continue to be for the foreseeable future.
“The Resident’s Short Term Vacation Rental Initiative in Dana Point provides an opportunity, that residents have been denied, to vote for a short-term rental policy. Short Term Rentals, known as STRs, are rentals from 2 to 30 days which the city is allowing to operate as businesses in Dana Point’s residential neighborhoods. An STR policy affects every resident, home owner and neighborhood in the City. Residents should be able to vote on such a critical policy. Within six months, If the Initiative obtains about 2,100 signatures of Dana Point’s registered voters, it will be placed on the ballot for approval in a municipal election.
The Residents’ Initiative will help protect neighborhoods from the many problems cited by the city to be associated with STRs, including excessive noise, disorderly conduct, vandalism, overcrowding, traffic congestion, illegal vehicle parking and the accumulation of refuse. The Initiative sets limits for STRs that are well below what the city currently allows but determined to still be acceptable to the California Coastal Commission that has jurisdiction in Dana Point’s Coastal Zone.
In the Initiative, all STR permits are awarded annually with the highest priority to receive a permit given to STRs with the least possible negative impacts. The highest priority to receive permits are: Home-Stay STRs where the home owner is on-site during the rentals providing vigilant oversight; and Primary STRs, where the home must be the owners primary residence and can be used as an STR 10 times during the year while the owner is away or on vacation. With Non-Primary STRs, allowed but given the lowest priority, the home is not the owner’s primary residence. The owner is most often an out-of-town investor having no personal connection to the community. Non-Primary STRs reduce available housing stock in our city that would impact the approximately 38% of residents who are renters.
The Initiative addresses the controversial property rights issue. In the Initiative, every Dana Point home owner, whose home is his or her primary residence, will have a fair chance to obtain an STR permit to meet their financial needs. For home owners who could have STRs operating next door and believe that they would infringe on their property rights by jeopardizing the enjoyment and value of their homes, the Initiative includes enhanced and more effective enforcement policies and prioritizes the granting of a limited number of STR permits to eliminate potential problems. The Initiative also includes protection for HOA/CC&R communities.
Dana Point can remain the best place to live in Orange County. The Resident’s Initiative provides a chance to vote for an STR policy that helps maintain Dana Point’s family-oriented neighborhoods and the peaceful enjoyment of our homes. For details go to www.SaveOurNeighborhoodsDP.com .”
- Betty Hill, Save Dana Point
