City Council to discuss short term rentals in Del Mar

The Del Mar municipal code is silent on whether short-term rentals is permitted in the city's residential neighborhoods.

Although the practice has gone on for years - some would say decades - in Del Mar, the lack of specificity has created a sort of legal vacuum that allows both sides of the issue to claim the law is on their side.

On April 17, the Del Mar City Council will consider the question of whether short-term rentals are currently allowed in residential zones, the first step in what could be a long battle over the issue, one that may very well end up in court no matter which way the council votes.

The issue of short-term rentals has become increasingly controversial in recent years with the rise in popularity of online vacation rental services such as AirBnB. The issue has divided residents of Del Mar, and it became a major issue in the 2016 City Council election.....if the city wants to prohibit the practice by changing city law it can do so, but that would trigger a review by the California Coastal Commission, which one resident said would reject the city's action.