County Supervisor John Leopold is disturbed by the impact coastal rentals are having on the neighborhoods stretching from Capitola and Santa Cruz.
County Supervisor John Leopold is disturbed by the impact coastal rentals are having on the neighborhoods stretching from Capitola and Santa Cruz. Longtime residents complains that the vacationers are changing the very nature of their neighborhoods, with late night parties, littered lawns and visitors’ cars blocking access to driveways. This season, notes Leopold, one block had as many as 12 rentals, making life difficult for the rest of the neighbors.
Now Leopold is suggesting limiting the number of rentals in the area and the number of people allowed to stay in one home. He also wants to put a ban on mass events like wedding receptions and business retreats in the neighborhoods.
He will likely face opposition. At least one rental goes for $5,000 a weekend, a tidy sum, especially in a recession. Then there is the basic question of what right local authorities have to dictate people may or may not do with their property.
While some nearby towns, like Carmel and Monterey, already ban short-term rentals and others require business permits, it has yet to be seen whether Leopold’s proposals for Santa Cruz County will win public support. It could end up being a fight between the landlords and their disgruntled neighbors. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
