Background

November 4th & 18th City Council Meeting

As follow-up to an informational report presented to the San Rafael City Council on August 5, 2019, a draft ordinance and policy resolution have been prepared addressing short-term rentals.  Specifically, the ordinance and policy resolution propose to establish regulations for permitting, administering, enforcing, and taxing short-term rentals.

At the November 4th and 18Th meetings, City Council unanimously approved the creation of the Short Term Rental Program.

August 5th City Council Meeting Recap: 

Staff returned to City Council on Monday, August 5th City Council Meeting.  After public feedback and City Council discussion, staff was directed to return with a draft ordinance for City Council consideration that creates a Short-Term Rental program with the minimal and moderate enforcement recommendations included in the August 5th, 2019 Staff Report. City Council also directed staff to consider the following additional elements to be included in the draft ordinance:

  • Potential regulations for short-term rentals on properties with shared driveways;
  • Regulations allowing travel trailers under certain specific conditions like those shown in the staff report;
  • Regulations aimed at restricting “party houses”;
  • Program guidelines outlining a three-strike system or other system to address so that problem locations could lose their right to act as a STR.

May Community Meetings:

From March 22nd to April 22nd, over 400 residents took our online survey on their experience and opinions with Short-Term Rentals. Two public meetings were held to review the results of the recent community survey and to get feedback. These meetings were held:

  • May 29th, 2019 from 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Loch Lomond Yacht Club- 95 Loch Lomond Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901
  • May 30th, 2019 from 7:30pm-9:00pm at the San Rafael Community Center- 618 B Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Unable to attend? Download the presentation here: Short Term Rental Community Survey Findings

February 19th City Council Meeting Recap:

An informational report on Short Term Rental policy options was presented at the Tuesday, February 19th City Council Meeting. At this meeting, Council requested that Staff conduct the following:

  1. Further analysis on the impacts of  Short Term Rental on the housing stock in San Rafael;
  2. Further analysis on  Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Junior Dwelling Unit use as Short Term Rentals;
  3. Expanded Community Outreach on Short-Term Rental Approaches, Regulations, Best Practices and Options.
  • To view the February 19th, City Council Agenda, click here
  • To view the Informational Report on Short-Term Rental Approaches, Regulations, Best Practices and Options, click here
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