Short-term rentals via services like Airbnb or VRBO are rapidly increasing in the high desert and although they generate income for property owners and tax revenue for the city, not everyone is compliant. So, the City of Twentynine Palms has found a helpful solution. Reporter Heather Clisby has the details…
Thanks, in part to the beautiful photos on social media, the Hi-Desert is now trending and property owners are cashing in by offering short-term vacation rentals. But not all owners are willing to play by the rules and that means lost tax revenue for the city.
So, the City of Twentynine Palms is utilizing a monitoring software program called Short Term Rental Helper to provide compliance assurance for vacation home rentals (VHR)—also known as short term rentals (STR).
STR Helper will daily monitor short-term rental website activity to identify registered and unregistered locations. Unregistered VHR owners will be contacted by STR Helper to provide compliance assistance with the City’s VHR ordinance. STR Helper will also assist registered VHR owners with information about their obligation to file and remit their transient occupancy taxes (TOT) and obtain a business license.
The City of Twentynine Palms vacation home rental ordinance can be found on the city’s homepage.
https://www.ci.twentynine-palms.ca.us/vacationhomerentalsrules
For more info, call 760-367-6799.
