In a well-attended meeting on February 10, the Planning Board held a public workshop to guide staff on drafting a Short-Term Rental Ordinance. The ordinance would regulate rentals of less than 30 days, usually facilitated through online platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO.
Alameda’s 2023-2031 Housing Element calls for limiting short-term rentals, arguing that they “reduce the supply of long-term housing units for sale or rent.” However, public comment overwhelmingly supported short-term rentals, noting benefits to the local economy, flexible, community-centered accommodations, particularly for short-term workers and visiting families, and flexibility for small landlords to both supplement their income and accommodate personal uses.
Background
Planning Services Manager Steve Buckley introduced the proposed ordinance, arguing that while short-term rentals offer homeowners financial opportunities, they can impact neighborhoods through noise, parking, and trash and reduce the availability of long-term rental housing.
Alameda lacks zoning regulations for short-term rentals, treating them similarly to hotels in terms of taxation. Short-term rental hosts must collect and remit a 14% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) to the City. However, compliance is inconsistent, especially for those renting outside major platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO.
Buckley noted that neighboring cities have short-term rental ordinances, putting pressure on Alameda to regulate its market to protect rental housing while allowing short-term rentals as an economic activity.
Common regulatory approaches include:
- Setting hosting requirements: Distinguish whether the rental is “hosted” (owner on site), “semi-hosted” (owner in one unit with renter in another unit), or “unhosted” (owner off-site). Most nearby cities allow hosted but not semi-hosted or unhosted short-term rentals. When semi-hosted and unhosted rentals are allowed, they cap the number of days per year.
- Property type restrictions: Rules may dictate whether short-term rentals can occur in single-family homes versus multi-unit buildings, accessory dwelling units, or non-traditional spaces such as trailers. Some cities allow short-term rentals only in single-family residences.
- Occupancy limits: The number of guests allowed per unit may be restricted.
- Noise, parking, and habitability: Quiet hours, bans on large gatherings, vehicle limits, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, adequate trash bins, and liability insurance may be required, along with proper plumbing, electrical, and structural integrity.
Comparison of Short-Term Rental Regulations by City
| City | Hosted Short Term Rentals | Semi-Hosted Short Term Rentals | Unhosted Short Term Rentals |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | Yes, Unlimited | Yes, Up to 90 days/year | No |
| San Leandro | Yes, Up to 180 days/year | No | No |
| Berkeley | Yes, Unlimited | Yes, Up to 90 days/year | Up to 90 days/year |
| Oakland | No | No | No |
| Emeryville | Yes, Unlimited | Yes, Up to 90 days/year | Up to 90 days/year |
| Fremont | Yes, Unlimited | No | No |
| Piedmont | Yes, Up to 60 days/year | Yes, Up to 60 days/year | Up to 60 days/year |
The City will also develop enforcement mechanisms. Options include requiring hosts to register via a permit system, self-certify regulatory compliance, and pay registration fees. Some cities use a complaint-based enforcement system or contract third-party services to track short-term rental activity, identify unregistered rentals, and ensure compliance.
Public comment
Public comment strongly favored short-term rentals in Alameda, emphasizing their financial necessity for homeowners, their benefits to the local economy, and their role in providing flexible, community-centered accommodations. Commenters opposed limiting the number of days per year that short-term rentals, particularly hosted and semi-hosted, could be rented out.
Speakers emphasized the economic benefits of guests not only spending money at local businesses but also paying the 14% TOT, currently amounting to over $700,000 per year in income to the City. Many hosts, particularly those on fixed or limited incomes, shared stories about how renting their properties through Airbnb supplements their income.
Sheila, a retiree, said she owns a duplex, lives in the upstairs unit, and rents out the downstairs unit, most often to the visiting relatives of her neighbors. She said, “I would have a hard time (making ends meet) if I was limited on how long I could rent.”
Some speakers noted that their renters are professionals on short-term assignments, such as nurses, Coast Guard, or Navy workers. Others emphasized that their guests are often family members of residents. Steve said, “Probably 90 to 95% of my guests are grandparents coming to Alameda to visit their family and grandchildren. They’re extremely respectful.”
Many noted that short-term rentals provide an alternative to Alameda’s limited hotel options. Trish, a long-term renter, said she supported short-term rentals. “I’ve used them in state, out of state, and in another country, and they bring value that is very different from a hotel. You get to stay in a real neighborhood. You are part of the community.”
Several hosts reassured the audience that Airbnb has strict policies against parties and disruptive behavior. Some noted that their rentals provide parking, and they regularly inspect their properties to ensure upkeep.
Others emphasized that even if short-term rentals were time-limited, they wouldn’t convert their spaces to long-term rentals because they use their units flexibly, blocking time for visiting friends and family. One speaker said, “(My wife and I) are immigrants. We have family coming from various parts of the world to stay with us, so the short-term aspect is important.”
A few speakers pointed out that short-term rentals provide accommodations for displaced residents undergoing home renovations or recovering from medical procedures, filling a gap that hotels cannot.
Board comment
Board members gratefully acknowledged the public’s input. They emphasized wanting to balance updating zoning ordinances while avoiding over-regulation, which might drive some owners to leave units vacant.
The Board expressed that limiting the number of days allowed for short-term rentals was not a high priority. However, hosted and semi-hosted short-term rentals were preferable to unhosted rentals since having the landlord on site to handle issues as they arise is advisable.
Planning, Building, and Transportation Director Allen Tai noted that staff was approaching the ordinance more as a regulation on short-term rental platforms rather than individual hosts. “The idea is if you are Airbnb or VRBO or some other platform that provides the arrangement for short-term rentals, you need to set up your business so that it complies with our local ordinance,” he said. “Our goal wasn’t to burden our local hosts but to hold the platforms accountable by ensuring good neighbor policies are in place as a condition of allowing a host to provide their unit on the platform.”
Board member Teresa Ruiz clarified, “To do business in Alameda, you need to have a business license. Airbnb should require whoever’s hosting to comply with Alameda regulations.”
Board member Hanson Hom encouraged staff to develop an inspection or self-certification process to ensure rental unit compliance with building and fire codes. As to the effect of short-term rentals on affordable housing stock, he said, “I think that’s more of an issue if you’re talking about someplace like Carmel or other locations that are touristed. I don’t think that’s much of an issue here in Alameda.” Instead, he noted that many seniors are able to age in place by renting out part of their properties through online platforms.
What’s next
Staff will now consider public and Board feedback as they begin drafting an ordinance. Staff expects to bring recommendations and a draft ordinance to the Planning Board in the summer of 2025 and to City Council in the fall.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen.
