City of Monterey cracks down on short term rental violations
MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) From the outside, the home at 6 Spray Avenue in Monterey seems like the perfect spot for an oceanside getaway, but renting the property out short term has been illegal in the City of Monterey since 1991.
"I like using Airbnb. I use it when I vacation and travel the world, but I understand if you're in a neighborhood. When renting to short term people they can be loud and have parties," said Monterey resident, James Buckley.
The property's owner, Burlingame Investments, LLC, tried to bypass city law. They listed their home on Airbnb and booked out a 10 night stay.
The owners later found out the renters they thought they'd sold to were actually city employees.
A $10,000 citation soon followed. The city issued $1,000 for every night the owners attempted to rent out the home.
"Once the booking was accepting via Airbnb, and our credit card was charged, we issued the citation," said Monterey Assistant City Attorney, Karin Salameh.
Salameh said the owners appealed the citation, later taking them to court. City officials said the owners argued the property was never even rented and the city cancelled their reservation before staying overnight.
"Ultimately, the court disagreed with them and agreed with us. They found that once they accepted the reservation, and the booking was made on Airbnb, and charged the credit card, that was a rental and the citation was properly issued," said Salameh.
City officials said the owners were warned before a citation was ever issued.
In 2017, city code was updated and restricted advertising of short term rentals.
The city said short term rentals can drive up prices on the market and limit the amount of housing available for people who plan to live and work in Monterey.
"It's ongoing, constant monitoring. It's a priority for the city to make sure residential neighborhoods maintain their character," said Salameh.
KION reached out to Burlingame Investments, LLC but never received a response.
