Ordinances relating to short-term vacation rentals in Yucca Valley were updated last night (February 15), with stricter regulations and stronger disciplinary measures enacted. Reporter Jef Harmatz has a look at the changes.
At last night’s regular meeting, the town council reviewed, revised, and ultimately implemented changes to the town’s code related to vacation rentals. Devised by the Planning Commission with input from public hearings, the code limits the amount of the town’s housing to be used as vacation rentals to ten percent. Guests will be limited to eight per house, though special permits for large houses can be sought. New vacation rentals must be equipped with a noise monitoring device, and an owner or agent must be available to respond to reasonable complaints against the rental within 15 minutes via phone or 30 minutes in person. The town increased fines against problematic rentals, which now range from $1500 to $5000, and can revoke permits. The section of code governing vacation rentals was moved out of the town’s development code and into the general municipal code, which will provide flexibility to adjust these regulations as needed in the future.
