Sonoma County has launched a new hotline dedicated to vacation rental complaints.
“The line is intended to ensure vacation rental operators comply with county regulations,” said Tennis Wick, director of Permit Sonoma, the county’s planning and licensing department. “It will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Wednesday’s announcement comes as county leaders grapple with calls for increased scrutiny of vacation rentals, which have exploded in the region over the past decade, and particularly over the past two years in the past. environment changes in working life in the era of the pandemic And one influx of wealthy buyers seeking property in wine country.
There are more than 2,000 licensed vacation rentals in Sonoma County, according to county data.
Many residents say the growing number of vacation rentals coupled with lax management has had a negative effect on neighborhoods, while some vacation rental operators are responding by saying tougher measures will hurt business.
In August, the Supervisory Board approved a series of changes local regulations which included expanding the areas where rentals are prohibited outside of the city limits, setting caps on rentals in other unincorporated areas, and changing policies governing rentals on the coast.
Council caps limit rentals to 5% to 10% of existing housing stock in certain low-density residential areas.
The council also approved a new vacation rental license program to standardize requirements for all vacation rental license holders outside of cities.
These requirements include quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. – an increase of one hour from the current 10 p.m. start time – a guest limit determined by the number of rooms, parking standards and household size limits.
Funding for the Complaints Hotline comes from fees paid by vacation rental operators. The county hired Granicus, a third-party contractor, to operate the hotline, said Stuart Tiffen, a county spokesman.
Property managers are expected to resolve any concerns about violations, such as amplified sound during quiet hours and household sizes, within an hour or 30 minutes, the county said in a new statement.
The county’s website asks anyone concerned about a breach to first contact the property manager, seeking their contact information through the online county permit database.
If the property manager does not respond after one hour to 30 minutes, neighbors should call the hotline to file a complaint, the website said.
Neighbors can call the hotline with concerns about regulatory violations, the county said in its announcement. The helpline number is 707-875-6619.
You can contact editor Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or [email protected]. On Twitter @MurphReports.
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