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Short-term home rentals must pay biz permit fees
airbnb
This Airbnb rental in Manteca near the Shasta Park neighborhood includes a game room in the garage.

Those using their homes for short-term rentals through firms such as Airbnb must pay $25 annual business permit fees.
The City Council put the permit fee in place Tuesday.

Homeowners that use their house for short term rentals must also pay fees associated with being granted the initial business permit. That includes a $73 business license planning review fee plus the current charges for fingerprinting through the Manteca Police Department.

And when they rent their homes they must collect the city’s 12 percent room tax, pay a 1 percent short term rental fee, and follow city regulations. The rental fee allows the city to use a firm to monitor Internet renting of homes in Manteca.

If someone is caught using their home as a short-term rental without a permit or ignore the city regulations they will be subject to fines starting at $1,500.

Restrictions the council has imposed include:

*banning rentals to anyone under the age of 25.

*entire homes or units are precluded from being rented out.

*only two rooms may be rented out in a home or a unit.

*owners must utilize off-street parking and allow only two vehicles per booking.

*quiet hours are from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m.

*there must be 100-yard separation from the property line between short term rentals.

*no parties, weddings, social events and/or social gatherings are allowed.

*all owners must have an agent/representative available at all times to address concerns.

Short term rentals such as those offered on Airbnb can only be rented out for 30 days or less. The rules put in place that restrict the use of homes as short-term rentals are designed to preserve the character of residential neighborhoods.

State law allows cities putting short term rental ordinances in place to have fines of $1,500 for the first offense, $3,000 for the second offense within a calendar year, and $5,000 for the third and subsequent offenses within the first year of a violation.

That means unlike with other zoning code violations that the state caps the ability of cities to assess fees for people who violate them, the ordinance the city adopted has real teeth if the city moves to enforce it.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com