By JUDI BOWERS
Private home rentals are a hot topic. People on both sides of the issue speak their minds. Lawsuits have been filed, ordinances submitted on their way to the ballot box, and city and county officials are swamped with information to wade through enroute to decisions.
Private home rentals are houses rented for periods of less than 30 days. In the city of Big Bear Lake, all private home rental units must be registered with the city and undergo inspections. Private home rentals are regulated by an existing city ordinance.
San Bernardino County is considering a similar ordinance. The proposal spent several months at the county Planning Commission level before being kicked upstairs so to speak to the county Board of Supervisors. Crafted using the city of Big Bear Lake’s existing ordinance, the county version would regulate short-term rentals in the unincorporated areas of Big Bear Valley. However, the county ordinance applies only to the mountain communities within the county.
The ordinance appeared on the supervisors’ Aug. 15 agenda for consideration. The proposed ordinance survived and was placed on the Aug. 22 board of supervisor’s calendar for approval. The ordinance will be put in place for 12 to 24 months then reviewed to see how it’s working.
CITPRO representatives spoke to the Big Bear Lake City Council Aug. 14 on the impact a proposed ballot initiative would have on the city and the economy. Nick Lanza told of how property values would go down when houses flood the market being sold because owners can no longer rent them for vacation use. Tyler Wood added to Lanza’s comments saying many people purchase vacation homes in the Valley on a 1031 tax exchange, which allows owners to use the houses for personal vacations and rent them to others to defray the cost.
The proposed ordinance would effectively put the short term rental owners out of business, Wood said. He called the proposed ordinance a “formula for disaster.â€
J.J. McClelland and her husband recently purchased Big Bear Mountain Resort Rentals. She told the council of the risk she and her husband took investing in a business, but said they felt confident in the community and the stability of a 13-year-old business. But the proposed ordinance threatens McClelland’s future as well as the financial stability of the many businesses like carpet cleaning that support the private home rental industry, she said. “Without us who will make this community what it is?†McClelland asked the council regarding short term rentals. “It’s not just the loss of revenue, but the quality of people we have up here.â€
Earlier this year Jim and Barbara McLean of Apples Bed and Breakfast filed a federal law suit against the city regarding private home rentals. Judge Stephen G. Larson dismissed the suit July 17. McLean said he and his attorney are working on an appeal. In the meantime he and his supporters are pursing their plan to place their proposed initiative before the voters.
McLean presented the ballot initiative to the city May 30. He said the city delayed long enough that the matter couldn’t be placed on the November ballot. Now the city will be forced into a special election, McLean said, which he claims could cost the city as much as $250,000. “Screw ’em,†McLean said regarding the city.
McLean says he receives a barrage of phone calls from folks upset about the problems caused by renters in private homes. While these people support McLean and his ballot initiative and are willing to help collect signatures, they won’t come forward publicly for fear of retribution, McLean said. The only ones going on record as supporting the initiative are Bob Pool and Brandon Schlarmann, both local lodge owners.
Regardless, McLean said he’s not giving up on his search for equality within the lodging industry. He said that’s all the ballot initiative asks for and that it won’t put anyone out of business. Instead it will regulate an existing business.
Battle wages toward war regarding vacation rentals
By JUDI BOWERS
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 10:08 AM PDT
Private home rentals are a hot topic. People on both sides of the issue speak their minds. Lawsuits have been filed, ordinances submitted on their way to the ballot box, and city and county officials are swamped with information to wade through enroute to decisions.
Private home rentals are houses rented for periods of less than 30 days. In the city of Big Bear Lake, all private home rental units must be registered with the city and undergo inspections. Private home rentals are regulated by an existing city ordinance.
San Bernardino County is considering a similar ordinance. The proposal spent several months at the county Planning Commission level before being kicked upstairs so to speak to the county Board of Supervisors. Crafted using the city of Big Bear Lake’s existing ordinance, the county version would regulate short-term rentals in the unincorporated areas of Big Bear Valley. However, the county ordinance applies only to the mountain communities within the county.
The ordinance appeared on the supervisors’ Aug. 15 agenda for consideration. The proposed ordinance survived and was placed on the Aug. 22 board of supervisor’s calendar for approval. The ordinance will be put in place for 12 to 24 months then reviewed to see how it’s working.
CITPRO representatives spoke to the Big Bear Lake City Council Aug. 14 on the impact a proposed ballot initiative would have on the city and the economy. Nick Lanza told of how property values would go down when houses flood the market being sold because owners can no longer rent them for vacation use. Tyler Wood added to Lanza’s comments saying many people purchase vacation homes in the Valley on a 1031 tax exchange, which allows owners to use the houses for personal vacations and rent them to others to defray the cost.
The proposed ordinance would effectively put the short term rental owners out of business, Wood said. He called the proposed ordinance a “formula for disaster.â€
J.J. McClelland and her husband recently purchased Big Bear Mountain Resort Rentals. She told the council of the risk she and her husband took investing in a business, but said they felt confident in the community and the stability of a 13-year-old business. But the proposed ordinance threatens McClelland’s future as well as the financial stability of the many businesses like carpet cleaning that support the private home rental industry, she said. “Without us who will make this community what it is?†McClelland asked the council regarding short term rentals. “It’s not just the loss of revenue, but the quality of people we have up here.â€
Earlier this year Jim and Barbara McLean of Apples Bed and Breakfast filed a federal law suit against the city regarding private home rentals. Judge Stephen G. Larson dismissed the suit July 17. McLean said he and his attorney are working on an appeal. In the meantime he and his supporters are pursing their plan to place their proposed initiative before the voters.
McLean presented the ballot initiative to the city May 30. He said the city delayed long enough that the matter couldn’t be placed on the November ballot. Now the city will be forced into a special election, McLean said, which he claims could cost the city as much as $250,000. “Screw ’em,†McLean said regarding the city.
McLean says he receives a barrage of phone calls from folks upset about the problems caused by renters in private homes. While these people support McLean and his ballot initiative and are willing to help collect signatures, they won’t come forward publicly for fear of retribution, McLean said. The only ones going on record as supporting the initiative are Bob Pool and Brandon Schlarmann, both local lodge owners.
Regardless, McLean said he’s not giving up on his search for equality within the lodging industry. He said that’s all the ballot initiative asks for and that it won’t put anyone out of business. Instead it will regulate an existing business.