BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The city of Bakersfield is looking to place brand new regulations, including a new permitting process, that would allow short-term rental properties to operate legally in the city.
The Bakersfield Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing on the proposed short-term rental ordinance at its Thursday regular meeting.
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If the Planning Commission approves the ordinance, the matter would go to the Bakersfield City Council for its approval at a later date. The ordinance would take effect 30 days after the City Council adopts it.
Short-term rentals are currently not allowed to operate in Bakersfield, according to city spokesperson Joe Conroy. However, it’s estimated that 500 or more STRs are operating in the city.
The purpose is to establish rules, standards and a permitting process on privately-owned residential dwelling units that can be rented out to visitors staying for less than 30 days available through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, according to the draft ordinance.
The ordinance aims to keep both the visitors and nearby Bakersfield residents safe from health or safety-related concerns, as well as nuisances like noise or trash problems. It also intends to implement Transient Lodging Taxes, also known as Transient Occupancy Taxes or “hotel tax.”
A short-term rental can’t be advertised or operated unless the city issues a short-term rental permit for it, the proposed ordinance says. It would also need a business tax certificate.
The permit would be valid for one year, and the operator can renew it annually as long as they pay the renewal fee, inform the city of changes to the previous application and didn’t receive two or more citations during the year.
The ordinance would also set rules on how the property operates. It would limit the maximum capacity to two people per bedroom. Children 12 years or younger don’t count in the limit, the draft says.
The STR would also need an emergency contact person who can be reached 24/7. They would be responsible for responding in one hour to complaints regarding the condition, operation or conduct of the STR or its guests forwarded from the city, as well as resolving the issues.
The city could also impose limits on how many STRs there can be in apartments and condominiums, according to the ordinance. It would be roughly 20% of the number of dwelling units — for example, if there are five to 10 units, only one to two STRs would be allowed.
Each STR would need to post a notice in the unit where the guest can easily see it, displaying the following information:
The maximum number of persons permitted in the unit
Parking capacity, location of parking spaces and parking rules
Trash and recycling pickup information
Name and phone number of the emergency contact person who can be reached 24/7
Contact information for police, fire or emergency medical services
Evacuation plan for the unit showing exits, exit routes and fire extinguisher locations
Outdoor pools, spas and hot tubs would be banned from use between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The operator would also have to provide and maintain fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
The property’s appearance also can’t conflict with the “residential character of the neighborhood,” according to the proposed ordinance.
All activities at the STRs would need to comply with rules that already exist in the city’s municipal code for noise, loud or unruly events, litter control and waste removal.
Short-term rentals are a “growing staple of the tourism economy” as an alternative to regular hotel and motel rooms, according to the Planning Commission agenda.
Online booking engines like Airbnb, Vrbo and HomeAway have made it easier for property owners to list their house, condo or apartment as a STR, as well as for travelers to search and book such properties, city officials said.
STRs can generate millions of dollars in tax revenue for the city, along with additional fees related to permits, according to officials.
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This increase in STRs led to issues like noise, trash, parking and even a decline in available long-term housing options in Bakersfield neighborhoods, residents reportedly said.
Bakersfield is not the only city pursuing new rules, the agenda said, as cities and counties across California and the U.S. are also trying to find the balance among STR regulation, recognition of property owner rights and neighborhood safety.
The public hearing is set to take place during the Planning Commission meeting at 5:30 p.m. at 1501 Truxtun Ave.
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