Alameda Planning Board Workshop on Short-term Rental Ordinance - April 28, 2025

The Alameda Planning Board held a workshop on April 28, 2025, at 7:00 PM to continue discussions on regulating short-term rentals (STRs) in the city. The workshop was the second in a series, following one in February 2025. Staff presented initial recommendations, options, and answered board questions. Public testimony was heard, and board members provided feedback on key policy issues. No votes were taken; staff will return with a draft ordinance at a future meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joe Kaiser (resident on Otis Drive) described a two-year nightmare living next to an unhosted STR, with large gatherings (often 12–50 people) and unresponsive owners. He urged the board to implement a bare-minimum requirement that hosts be on-site and limit days per year.
• Louai Al Kanji (resident on San Antonio Avenue) expressed concern about the studies cited by staff, noting one was funded by the hotel lobby. He stated that STRs generate approximately $12 million per year and support over 125 local jobs. His family relies on income from a backyard cottage (a semi-hosted STR) to afford their $8,000/month mortgage; he requested enough flexibility to allow them to stay in Alameda.
• Steve Bus (owner of a Victorian home with a 90-year-old cottage) rents the cottage on Airbnb for about 200 days per year. He noted a 90-day limit would have significant economic impact. He also mentioned difficulty obtaining the correct business license and supported allowing semi-hosted STRs.
• Sheila Keho (owner of a duplex, lives upstairs, rents downstairs) uses the rental mostly for parents visiting kids. She is retired and depends on the income from STRs, and she urged the board to consider people like her.

Discussion Items

• Staff Presentation: Planning staff (joined by consultant Heather Coleman) presented a follow-up to the February workshop. They recommended limiting STRs to owner-occupied properties, possibly allowing a second unit on the same property (but not ADUs built after 2017 per state law). Staff suggested self-certification for health and safety, a 90-day limit for unhosted/semi-hosted scenarios, and a zoning clearance/permit. They also noted that about 1% of Alameda’s housing stock is currently used as STRs, and a third-party tracking service could cost $15,000–$20,000 per year.
• Board Member Wang: Questioned the policy rationale for a days-per-year limit, especially for semi-hosted situations where the owner is on-site. He favored a simple primary-residence requirement and opposed days-per-year limits and excluding ADUs from STRs.
• Board Member Hom: Emphasized affordability, supported primary-residence requirement, preferred requiring the host to be on-site during rental, liked self-certification, suggested limiting simultaneous rentals, no party allowances, and opposed a 90-day limit if host is present. He raised questions about permit vs. zoning clearance for enforcement.
• Board Member Ruiz: Agreed with Wang on preserving housing stock, noted Alameda is not a hot tourist destination, and saw appeal in full-dwelling-unit rentals for families. Supported semi-hosted STRs.
• Board Member Saheba: Wanted data on unhosted STRs (78% rent entire house/apartment) and a policy that can adapt over time. She questioned how to enforce days limits and suggested flexibility for professions like teachers.
• Board Member Sue: Echoed Wang’s concern that 90-day limits would preclude long-term rentals. She supported unlimited hosted and semi-hosted (with owner present) but was not convinced on semi-hosted where owner is away; she wanted more justification and suggested a 30-day limit to mirror state ADU law.
• Board Member Adisa: Supported primary residence requirement and hosted (unlimited), but felt unhosted and semi-hosted (away) need days limits for enforceability. She also wanted to explore incentives for long-term rentals, such as partnerships with landlord associations.
• Board Member Dewees: Provided detailed answers to staff’s policy questions: supported primary residence on same property, unlimited hosted and semi-hosted (host on-site), semi-hosted away should be limited. He opposed excluding ADUs built before 2017. He urged simplifying the health and safety checklist, not overreaching on guest limits or curfews, and streamlining the business license process.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or decisions were made; the workshop was for board feedback.
• Staff will incorporate board comments and return with a draft short-term rental ordinance for further discussion at a future meeting (not the next two meetings due to absences).
• The board generally converged on requiring primary residence occupancy, allowing hosted rentals (unlimited), and supporting self-certification for health and safety.
• Divergent views were expressed on semi-hosted STRs, days-per-year limits, and whether to allow unhosted rentals (with or without limits).
• Board members requested more information on enforcement costs, grandfathering options, and how to incentivize long-term rentals.