BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — City staff are expected to create a draft of an ordinance to manage potential issues related to short-term rentals that exist throughout Bakersfield, such as noise, trash, parking and more.

The Bakersfield Housing and Community Development Committee received a presentation of an update regarding short-term rentals on Wednesday.

During the meeting, city staff asked the committee to decide whether or not they should draft a short-term rental ordinance to manage those units.

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Short-term rentals are rental of residential dwelling units for less than one month. It is an alternative from the traditional hotel or motel room lodgings for travelers and a “growing staple of the tourism economy,” the meeting agenda said.

Short-term rental platforms include Airbnb, VRBO and hundreds more, city officials said in the presentation. They serve as online marketplaces connecting travelers with local hosts and allow property owners to list their properties to collect rent by providing home stays.

According to the presentation, the market size for short-term rentals in the U.S. is valued at $35.75 billion in 2025 and is estimated to reach $81.63 billion by 2033.

Bakersfield has over 500 short-term rental properties, according to city officials.

With the rising popularity of platforms like Airbnb, residential neighborhoods across the country is seeing issues ranging from noise, trash and parking, as well as a decline in available long-term housing options, the agenda said.

“Across the State of California and the United States, counties and cities are attempting to strike a balance between regulating STRs to address neighborhood compatibility and environmental concerns while recognizing property owner rights,” city officials said in the agenda.

With the ordinance, the city said it hopes to achieve the following goals:

Neighborhood preservation: Reduce negative effects on the quality of life in Bakersfield neighborhoods

Operator accountability: Require operators to report bookings, occupancy and transient occupancy taxes

Revenue protection: Prevent unlicensed short-term rentals from bypassing local laws

Complaint resolution: Create a process for neighbors to report violations

Enforcement mechanism: Define clear consequences and fines for operating without a permit or violating city ordinances

The committee told city staff to develop the ordinance for the committee to view at a future meeting, city spokesperson Joe Conroy said. No details about the ordinance were worked out on Wednesday.

The ordinance would be developed at the committee level before going to the Bakersfield City Council. If approved, the ordinance would go into effect, according to Conroy.

It is unknown when the draft will be ready for committee review at this time, Conroy said.

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City officials said many cities that manage their short-term rentals use contract services for enforcement as it is costly and difficult to achieve compliance.

According to the agenda, the cost to monitor short-term rentals in Bakersfield would be $200,000 to $400,000 as two to three code enforcement officers would need to respond. If the city hires a firm, the cost of the program could be less than $50,000.

More than 300 municipalities in California — or over 65% of California cities — have addressed the short-term rental market by adopting ordinances, according to city officials.

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