TEMECULA BANS SHORT-TERM RENTALS

Well, it’s official! The City of Temecula has made its ruling that short-term vacation rentals have been banned inside the city limits. 

For over two years, the council has debated how to handle the influx of short-term vacation rentals popping up over the city. Even last night’s City Council meeting lasted well into the midnight hour, as the council labored with the decision. 

Last night, they decided to enforce the residential codes in the city limits of Temecula. The result was a complete and certain banning of ALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS. 

As part of this decision, the Temecula City Council members stated that their first priority is to protect their citizens. They added that upholding the rights of these families to live in a beautiful, peaceful community is also important. 

A Complex Issue

It hasn’t been an easy decision due to the growth in tourism and desire to help everyone reap the economic benefits. Last year, Wine Enthusiast magazine named Temecula one of the 10 Best Wine Travel Destinations for 2019. This contributed to our tremendous tourism growth, according to VisitTemeculaValley.org. 

At the same time, the City Council understood that many homeowners within neighborhoods that offered these short-term rentals have been frustrated by the situation. Between noise, additional traffic, and security concerns, many within Temecula and the surrounding areas have pushed to remove these rentals from their community. 

The Short-Term Rental Market

If you are not sure what defines a short-term rental, it’s any dwelling unit that is shared, in whole or part, for temporary occupancy for periods of up to 30 days. Many homeowners have discovered short-term rentals as a way to earn additional income.

Typically, these short-term rentals are found on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. However, you can also find them on Craigslist and in Facebook Groups. 

The Impact on Temecula and the Surrounding Areas

You may ask, how does this ruling affect Temecula Wine Country and De Luz? These and other unincorporated areas of Riverside County are regulated by the County of Riverside, not the Temecula City Council. Therefore, those guidelines can be found here.

For those homeowners with short-term rentals within the City of Temecula, they will receive a cease and desist letter in the next 30 days. Shortly after, if these homeowners do not remove their Temecula properties from short-term rental websites, then they will be hit with a whopping $1000 fine per night. If these fines are not paid, they will be considered liens on the property.

The Temecula City Council members said that any property owner currently running a short-term rental out of their home is now operating outside the laws of Temecula and at risk of penalty. They said, “We truly hope we don’t have to levy a single fine on anyone. So if you’re running a short term rental out of your home, please shut it down. The City has hired a third-party vendor who is going to be collecting all the data from the Internet. That’s not just the obvious websites, but they can find ANY listing, anywhere on the web.”

Community Reaction

Local groups on social media have been abuzz with discussion on this ruling. Even homeowners and citizens in neighboring Murrieta have weighed in on the subject since a similar ruling could soon impact their city. While community members are divided on whether the ruling is good or bad, the one thing that’s for sure is immediate change is here and those with these short-term rental properties will need to find another source of income.   

Buying and Selling Property in Temecula

We’re here to help! If you or someone you know wishes to discuss options for this property ownership and alternate uses for the home, please contact Liz Jones or any of our team at 951-970-4771.