STR’ing

According to Amanda Lee, Principal Planner of Del Mar, this is the current status of Del Mar’s Short Term Rental (STR) Regulation Ordinance:

  • Adoption of STR Ordinance and status of processing of the Ordinance for final approval with Coastal Commission:
  • The City Council adopted the STR Regulations ordinance on September 23, 2024
  • The Ordinance is pending California Coastal Commission certification – CCC action is anticipated to occur between summer and end of year in 2025
  • This means the STR Ordinance is not yet effective – the City is not able to accept any STR Permit applications at this time (for new or existing STRs)

Existing STRs are being accommodated:

  • 162 Existing STRs were registered with the City – this represents up to 33 STRs that will be accommodated above adopted citywide cap of 129 STRs
  • The citywide cap of 129 represents 5% of the 2,574 total dwelling units per the 2020 US Census – by comparison the accommodation of existing STRs represents 6.3% of total dwelling units in the City
  • Existing STRs are mainly concentrated in the North Beach neighborhood – there are 101 existing STRs registered in North Beach which is 24 STRs over the neighborhood cap set in the ordinance
  • The remaining existing STRs include 34 registered in the south bluff neighborhood (two over the neighborhood cap) and 27 registered in the Hills neighborhood (eight above the neighborhood cap)
  • Consistent with the adopted ordinance, all existing STRs will be accommodated; permits for new STRs will not be able to be issued until there is room under the citywide cap of 129 STRs
  • Owners will need to submit for STR Permit applications within 60 days of Coastal Commission certification of the City’s STR Ordinance/Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA)
  • Payment of TOT will not be required until the Ordinance takes effect – Airbnb had erroneously sent existing STR owners a request for payment of TOT, which was later retracted after the City was made aware and reached out to Airbnb to  clarify the status of the STR Ordinance and have them retract the TOT-related misinformation they had shared with their customer base
  • The City will be sending status updates regarding the STR Ordinance to all existing STR owners in the registry

City preparation for Implementation of the Ordinance once its takes effect:

  • While the ordinance is pending with Coastal Commission, the City will be soliciting proposals for third party vendors to assist the City with implementation of the ordinance
  • Once on board, the selected consultant will assist the City with identifying the cost for implementation of the new STR Permit
  • The City will then process a STR Permit Fee Ordinance for adoption by the City Council
  • The City’s best guess as to when the STR Ordinance will take effect is by December 2025