Senate OKs Glazer’s bill to raise short-term rental fines

SACRAMENTO >> The state Senate has approved Sen. Steve Glazer’s bill to stiffen penalties on short-term rentals in the wake of the Halloween mass shooting in Orinda that killed five people and injured several others at an Airbnb rental.

The bill, SB 1049, was approved, 32-7, and moves to the Assembly, Glazer’s office said Tuesday.

“This is an important bill that gives cities and counties the power to enforce their laws in a way that will get the attention of those who abuse their right to rent out a home,” said Glazer, D-Orinda, in a statement. Glazer is a former mayor of Orinda.

SB 1049 would authorize a city and county to impose a fine of up to $5,000 for a violation of a short-term rental ordinance.

“Short-term rentals offer a way to improve tourism and earn owners extra money, but unfortunately, there have been some bad actors that have used the platform to host large parties,” Glazer said. “These large gatherings have made some short-term rental properties the site of underage drinking, brawls and noise complaints. Hopefully, my bill will act as a deterrent to such behavior.”

Glazer announced the legislation Feb. 17 at a news conference in front of the Orinda Library, about a mile away from the Airbnb house on Lucile Way that hosted the party attended by more than 100 people. Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, is the co-sponsor of the bill.

Currently, cities such as Orinda can only impose citations of up to $1,000 for short-term rental violations. Many homes get rented for $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 or more per night, and the current fines for a violation are not enough of a deterrent, according to Glazer.

Orinda Mayor Darlene Gee said she was “extremely happy” about the bill’s approval in the state Senate. “We’re estatic that the bill provides some real teeth for local communities,” she said, calling it an “important tool for communities that want to have shortterm rentals but also want to enforce the rules.”

Orinda City Council member Inga Miller, who was mayor at the time of the Halloween shooting, called it an “incredible step forward toward making our short-term rentals safer.”

“We in Orinda have learned all too well the tragic consequences that have occurred at these kinds of parties and we will be advocating vigorously for this bill in the Assembly,” Miller said.

At the February press conference, Gee noted the steps the city has taken on short-term rentals. In December, the Orinda City Council extended an emergency ordinance on unhosted short-term rentals that calls for a two-day minimum stay with the owner on the property. The emergency ordinance runs through Nov. 18, and Gee said the city is working on a permanent ordinance.

No one has been charged in connection with the Orinda shooting. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office declined to charge five other suspects who were arrested in raids related to the shooting.