Mixed Results from Supervisors' Action on Short Term Rentals

MBCA President Steve Bardwell addresses Supervisors at June 14 meeting. Photo by Stacy Doolittle
At their June 14 meeting, the San Bernardino County Supervisors voted to place a 45-day moratorium on new short-term rental (STR) permits in unincorporated areas of the County via this Urgency Ordinance. During this time the County is expected to initiate studies about housing issues caused by the excessive number of STRs. The Board also voted to prohibit transfer of STR permits with home sales and limited STR ownership to 2 per person. Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe was instrumental in championing these actions.
The Supervisors also voted on revisions to the existing Short Term Rental Ordinance forwarded by the Planning Commission. Supervisor Rowe made a motion to limit corporate and LLC ownership of STRs, but was unable to get a second on her motion to move it to a vote. MBCA along with other speakers emphasized the need to gather data and analyze the effect of STRs and housing needs at the local level incorporating input from the local community. This as the supervisors emphasized that the STR ordinance is a ‘living’ ordinance that should be expected to be revised over time.
There was some recognition by the Supervisors that any analysis could require more than 45 days of study. County Counsel informed the supervisors that the urgency notice could be extended for 10 months 15 days, and then for an additional year for a two year maximum.
MBCA's Pause Petition sent to the County on June 12 plus an Addendum presented at the meeting on June 14 were signed by a total of 474 people with 136 comments.
MBCA and Center for Biological Diversity Address the County on STRs
MBCA Addresses the County’s Housing Element Inconsistencies and Short-Term Rentals
Eblast June 1, 2022

- Fish and Game Commission to consider Joshua Tree Listing
- Protect Rooftop Solar!
- Comments due on San Bernardino County Housing Element
- Short Term Rental ordinance amendments
- Landscape Tour was a success
- Stagecoach Solar project put on hold
MBCA Letter on Alta Loma x Sunset Proposed Housing Project

MBCA Releases Statement and Video on Short Term Rentals

A HUGE THANK-YOU TO THE 476 PETITION SIGNERS AND 133 COMMENTERS. THE SUPERVISORS AGREED TO A 45-DAY HIATUS ON APPROVING NEW STR APPLICATIONS THROUGH THIS URGENCY ORDINANCE.
Eblast April 18, 2022

- Attend MBCA’s Landscape Tour Sunday April 24!
- Comments due on the Flamingo 640 Glamping Project
- Proposed Wonder Inn Hotel
- Short Term Rentals and the SB County Housing Element
- Is the Joshua Tree a Threatened Species?
State Agency Criticizes County's Draft Housing Element
County Planning Commission Continues STR Ordinance Consideration
The San Bernardino County Planning Commission's draft Short Term Rental (STR) ordinance agenda item on February 3 was continued to the next meeting, or more likely to a Special meeting to be determined at the next meeting (February 17). More than 5 hours were devoted to the topic, including the staff presentation, more than 60 public comments, and lengthy dialogue among the Commissioners. Key issues of further consideration included whether to allow an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to be an STR, whether different desert and mountain conditions should dictate different ordinance details for those areas, and many other complex issues. MBCA Directors were disappointed at how little acknowledgement there was of housing inequity. The large increase in STRs has greatly reduced affordable rental housing especially in Morongo Basin communities (see Wayne Hamilton letter for more data).
Below is a series of lists, maps, comment letters and other documents that were provided by MBCA to the Planning Commission and other County entities to elaborate on the short-term rental problem in the Morongo Basin particularly.
Chart of STRs by Zipcode January 2022
MBCA’s 2.2.22 STR Comment letter
MBCA’s 10.19.21 STR Comment letter
Map of SB County Supervisorial Districts|
Data comparison of SB County Districts
Map of STRs by Zipcode January 2022
Map of SB County size compared to 4 states
Wayne Hamilton, MUSD Housing Liaison, Letter to Sup. Rowe