Council votes to restrict short-term rental use

The Trinidad City Council on Friday voted to restrict the use of its nearly three-dozen short-term rental portieres in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The resolution will go into effect after an amendment extending the resolution to cover all lodging businesses in the city is found to be within the power of the city.

“We’re going to make sure we’re not overstepping our bounds,” Trinidad mayor Steve Ladwig said. “As soon as we sign this, it’ll go into effect, whether that’s tomorrow (Saturday) or Monday.”

The resolution restricts most people from renting any of the 30 shortterm rental properties in the city. First-responders, health care workers and contractors working on tasks essential to the fight against COVID-19 are exempt from the moratorium. The restrictions will be lifted when Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide shelter-in-place order, as well as Humboldt County’s shelter-in-place order, are lifted.

Anyone who does not fall under the list of exemptions will not be permitted to use any of the city’s short-term rentals beginning Sunday.

People already staying in short-term rentals will be allowed to remain for the duration of their contract but will not be allowed to renew their stay. Property owners will be subject to a penalty if found in violation by the city.

The council added an amendment to the resolution stating landlords and renters in violation of the resolution will face a monitory fine and up to a oneyear suspension of their license to operate rentals in the city. The resolution leaves the exact penalty ambiguous and up to the council to define and administer on a case-by-case basis.

The council also amended the resolution to extend the moratorium to all lodging businesses in the city. Trinidad’s lone non-short-term rental is the Trinidad Bay Bed & Breakfast Hotel, which will also have to follow the resolution’s guidelines.

City manager Eli Naffah said the exemptions carved out in the resolution are taken from the governor’s March 19 executive order declaring a statewide shelter-in-place.

The resolution also calls for the city to reach out to the Board of Supervisors to request a similar moratorium on short-term rentals in unincorporated areas of the county near Trinidad.