Short term or vacation rentals of private homes to out-of-towners has long been practiced by many local property owners looking for extra income. In the Morongo Basin’s unincorporated areas, the tradition has gone on unfettered, free from county oversight, permit fees, or regulations of any kind. All of that may be about to change. Reporter Mike Lipsitz has more on what’s afoot…
Since 2007, property owners in the unincorporated mountain region have been subject to a vacation rental ordinance which requires a permit, an application fee approaching $700, and adherence to a broad set of standards. Then last month, County Land Use Services began circulating a draft update to that ordinance. The draft update adds more specific regulations that address occupancy standards, conditions of operation, enforcement, and suspension and revocation of permits—everything from number of parking spaces required based on occupancy, to the speed at which a property owner must respond to noise complaints from neighbors. And while the draft ordinance indicates it is for use in the mountain region, it also states that it “may be expanded in the future to include other areas of the unincorporated County, such as the Community of Joshua Tree.”
Vacation Home Rentals Draft Ordinance January 2017
LAND USE SERVICES DEPARTMENT PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
