Title
Short Term Rental Ordinance. Discussion of the City's workplan to consider updates to the zoning ordinance to address short-term rentals.
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
PLANNING BOARD
WORKSHOP
STAFF REPORT
ITEM NO: 5-A
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION: Short Term Rental Ordinance. Discussion of the City's workplan to consider updates to the zoning ordinance to address short-term rentals.
GENERAL PLAN: Citywide
ZONING: Citywide
ENVIRONMENTAL
DETERMINATION: Exempt - A workshop discussion has no possibility of an effect on the physical environment.
PROJECT PLANNER: Steven Buckley, Planning Services Manager
PUBLIC NOTICE: No notice is required for a workshop discussion; the agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City's website. Notice will be given more broadly when warranted.
EXHIBITS: None
BACKGROUND
"Short-term rental" (STR) refers to the rental of rooms or entire homes for short periods, usually less than 30 days. While home sharing, vacation rentals, and other forms of STR are not new, the growth of online hosting platforms like AirBnB and VRBO in the past 15 years have led to their rapid proliferation and changed how they are typically operated. A growing number of cities and counties, including many of Alameda's neighbors, have adopted local ordinances that legalize some types of STRs while establishing regulations to protect public interests. By contrast, STRs are still unregulated in Alameda aside from business license and business tax obligations.
The Housing Element committed the City to consider regulations for STRs to preserve the rental housing supply. The purpose of this workshop is to brief the Planning Board about the upcoming workplan. It describes the context and need for STR regulations, identifies key issues for the regulations to address, and provides a preliminary project timeline. This meeting is an opportunity for Board members to offer initial comments and highlight topics they would like addressed. Staff will conduct further research ...
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