Although the short-term rental regulations the Los Altos Hills City Council considered last week cost countless hours to craft and multiple meetings to massage, no one at Thursday's council meeting seemed fully satisfied with the results.
Residents advocated for both looser and more stringent rules – or the outlawing of Airbnb-type enterprise altogether – and some even heckled a councilman as he questioned the feasibility of requiring hosts to remain on-site during rentals.
"I have to tell you something right now: You're not in the real world," said Councilman John Radford. "You're not in the world of –"
"You're not in the real world," shouted a man from the audience.
"The next person who makes a public comment from the audience will be asked to leave," Radford said. "You all had your say. We're trying to work out a thorny situation, and I'm not used to being criticized like this."
The threat proved effective. Once-boisterous audience members settled down to hear councilmembers map out a new approach suggested by Councilwoman Courtenay C. Corrigan: reserving rules governing rentals of under 30 days for those "nuisance" properties reported for egregious noise, trash, parking and other offenses. Their owners would have to adhere to regulations that could include restrictions on the number of nights a home may be rented out in a year and the number of guests allowed during each rental. Owners might have to notify their neighbors before a rental and remain on-site throughout each rental period. Financial penalties for violations are another possibility.
Mayor Gary Waldeck praised Corrigan's idea.
"The point is, until it's a problem, it's not," he said. "And when it becomes a problem, then the rules apply."
The proposal is also intended to put an end to the purchase or construction of Los Altos Hills homes by absentee investors for the sole purpose of offering short-term or event rentals – though councilmembers did not hash out methods for enforcement.
"We're in agreement: No home shall be used for the sole purpose of (short-term) rentals, period," Corrigan said. "That, we're clear on."
It's a rare short-term rental meeting in Los Altos Hills that transpires without reference to Beyoncé; the singer booked a local estate for $10,000 a night via Airbnb in February 2016 during the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium. Pop star Justin Bieber, who booked the same home for $30,000 a night the month after Beyoncé, also earned a mention.
"I don't go so far as to say you have to be at the house for the weekend," Councilman Roger Spreen said. "For example: the famous Beyoncé house. I think, 'God bless you if you can get that much money for one night in your house, and you're not living there. But if Justin Bieber came for a night and had a tantrum like he used to – I guess he doesn't anymore – you know, those are justifiable complaints."
Town staff will draft the new proposal and present it to the Planning Commission for consideration. Commissioners' version will inevitably make it back to the council for another vetting.
To follow Los Altos Hills' short-term rental saga, visit losaltoshills.ca.gov/382/Short-Term-Rentals.
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