The City of Atascadero held a workshop on Thursday where people could share their feedback on short-term rentals.
Community Development Director Phil Dunsmore said the city is considering adopting new rules or regulations.
“We have a couple hundred right now in the city of Atascadero," said Dunsmore. "Other cities are reaching their cap in terms of vacation rentals. So we're seeing an uptick here.”
According to Dunsmore, short-term rentals are allowed in all residential zoning districts. Operators must obtain a business license and register to pay the transient occupancy tax.
“We are the only city in the county that doesn't have any kind of restrictions,” said City Council member Susan Funk. “If you try to do it before it's a problem, people don't understand why you would need to do it.”
Thursday’s workshop gave community members a chance to weigh in.
Steve Cadenasso, owns both short and long-term rentals, said he believes a middle ground has to be found.
“People coming here on vacation is a huge part of our economy," said Cadenasso. "We just have to do it in a way that everybody’s going to be happy.”
Sarah Maggelet, owner of Templeton Vacation Rentals, said she supports the possible changes but that she wants them to be fair.
“We want more regulation, but we don't want different regulation, and we shouldn't be treated differently. We just want equality,” she said. “We want the community to know how they can help us make sure lodging is safe and presentable, that our guests behave well, and that everybody can benefit from tourism.”
All of the feedback collected will be presented to the City Council on February 24.
“We're simply getting the feedback, going to City Council and hoping to get some consensus before we move forward with any changes to our policies,” Dunsmore said.
As of now, no decision or changes have been made. This discussion is still in the early stages.
