Sonoma County To Consider Moratorium On New Vacation Rental Permits

By Eli Walsh, Bay City News Foundation

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County could place a temporary moratorium on vacation rental permits next week under a proposal being considered by the county’s board of supervisors.

The board is expected to consider a 45-day temporary moratorium on issuing new permits at its next meeting on Tuesday. Permit Sonoma, the county’s land use and development permitting agency, is currently developing a comprehensive vacation rental ordinance, according to county officials.

The board held public meetings over the last two years on developing regulations for vacation rentals, which are reserved via platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.

Most recently, the county’s Planning Commission voted on March 17, 2022, to continue its public hearing on vacation rental regulations.

Since then, according to county officials, applications for vacation rental permits have spiked by roughly 500 percent.

If at least four of the board’s five members vote to approve the moratorium, it would go into effect as an urgency ordinance and halt the processing of all permit applications submitted after Tuesday.

Existing vacation rental units and those with complete applications submitted prior to May 10 would not be subject to the proposed moratorium, according to the county.

Members of the public can submit comments on the proposal by emailing Permit Sonoma at [email protected].

Information about how to watch or attend the May 10 meeting can be found at https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

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