Last night, the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department held a virtual meeting to inform the public of the findings from a comprehensive study of the impact of short-term rentals (STRs) on the housing market before the results were presented to the SBC County Board of Supervisors in late December.
Colin Drucker with Place Works, and Heidi Duran, Planning Director for San Bernardino County, were lead presenters for the San Bernardino County virtual meeting. The objective of the comprehensive study from 2020 was to answer residents’ concerns about long-term housing availability and the impact caused by short-term rentals. The study reviewed an exhaustive list of data sources, including direct communication with property managers, schools, and service providers. The conclusion was the study did not find evidence of substantial or widespread patterns that short-term rental activity was affecting rental and housing prices. Instead, the increase was due to more significant economic trends amplified by the Pandemic and a pre-existing housing construction shortage. The Pandemic also increased opportunities for remote work and expanded the housing market for working (non-retiree) households into areas with little ability to build new housing quickly. Another major factor was changes in state laws that made it challenging for owners to rent long-term. Additional contributing factors to rising rates for housing are the costs of natural disasters, which are driving up insurance premiums.
The study also delves a look at housing affordability by occupation and gives the history of Short-term rentals in San Bernardino County.
Input from residents indicated a concern about using short-term rentals in the residential neighborhoods, how well they are managed, and concerns about fees and taxes and why the money collected goes into the general fund rather than the communities affected. Residents should give this complex study the time to understand all the factors represented here. Heidi Duran said, in closing, that it is essential for the community to receive this information early and well in advance of the hearings so the public has an opportunity to read it and provide recommendations, comments, and questions. Anyone interested in reading the study and hearing this virtual meeting can find a link at https://str.sbcounty.gov/anno.For additional questions, email Heidi Duran [email protected]
