On Wednesday, March 10, the City of La Verne’s Planning Commission reviewed an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals based on City Council input. In 2019, the City Council adopted a moratorium on residential short-term rentals based on community concerns and neighboring communities’ experiences. While the moratorium was originally set to expire on March 6, 2020, the Council ultimately decided to extend the moratorium until August 17, 2021 in order to allow City staff enough time to thoroughly research the issue, draft an ordinance and host a study session with the City Council.
The drafted and recommended ordinance defines short-term rentals as establishments that are rented by the host to another party for a period of 30 consecutive calendar days or less. These properties must undergo a meticulous permitting process requiring hosts to submit emergency contact information, floor plans of the unit and provide documentation showing that the rental is the host’s primary residence among other credentials.
“We spent over a year fine-tuning this ordinance to ensure that it addressed the La Verne community’s concerns while also creating a pathway for visitors to get an authentic La Verne experience by staying in local short-term rentals,” said La Verne City Manager Bob Russi.
In addition to the permitting process previously discussed, the proposed ordinance includes the implementation of a Transient Occupancy Tax, capacity restrictions and host obligations to mitigate noise and other nuisances defined by State law such as lighting. Should this ordinance go into effect, short-term rental properties may only house a maximum of 10 people, with a maximum number of two people per bedroom, and the host or an authorized representative must be present during all rentals to ensure compliance. Nearby property owners will be notified of the application and have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal.
The ordinance further outlines procedures and justifications for approvals, denials and revocations of local short-term rental applications and permits. The drafted ordinance also contains sections on enforcement and penalties for short-term rentals that violate any condition of the ordinance.
“We greatly appreciate the City Council and resident input throughout this process, which provided the foundation for how we approached drafting this ordinance,” said La Verne Director of Community Development Eric Scherer. “While we, of course, welcome and look forward to accommodating visitors, our first duty is to the people we serve right here in the La Verne community.”
Residents can review the draft ordinance in the Planning Commission Meeting agenda packet. At the Planning Commission on Wednesday, March 10, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend that the City Council adopt the proposed short-term rental ordinance with a minor modification on the permit renewal process. The recommended ordinance will be presented to the City Council in April.