While Fresno isn’t quite the tourist destination compared to locales in Southern California or along the Central Coast, the market for short-term rentals via platforms like Airbnb and VRBO is on the upswing.
And with that growth comes complaints, Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld said Thursday.
Thursday, he and Fresno City Council President Paul Caprioglio are introducing a proposal to require homeowners to hold permits before listing their Fresno homes on the various short-term rental platforms.
“We have people renting these homes who are throwing drunk parties and wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods,” Bredefeld said. “That’s not going to fly.”
The proposal requires short-term rental platforms to collect a transient occupancy tax, a tax levied on hotels by municipalities.
Meanwhile, homeowners would be required to obtain an annual permit to operate a short-term rental. Chief among the permitting requirements: homeowners must provide contact information for all owners of the property or a property manager who can be reached at all times.
Meanwhile, they are also required to keep three-years of records on short-term renters.
Bredefeld said complaints stemming from rowdy short-term renters isn’t limited to one part of the city.
Meanwhile, Fresno Police were limited in what they could do in response to complaints from neighbors.
