Association seeks legal counsel on short-term rentals

Short-term vacation rentals of homes, a divisive topic in some San Diego beach communities, have sprouted in Ramona with homeowners touting the countryside, wineries and outdoor recreation when marketing their accommodations.

Online sites such as Airbnb and Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO), where homeowners can list the rental of their house for a stay as short as one night, have become popular for tourists looking for lodging, but not necessarily for nearby neighbors.

“It’s been a nightmare living next door to a mini hotel,” Tami Rozelle said about a short-term rental in her San Diego Country Estates neighborhood.

As the City of San Diego is trying to figure out how to regulate the growing number of short-term vacation rentals that has divided neighborhoods, the Estates homeowners association board is investigating its Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and seeking legal counsel, said General Manager Mario Trejo.

“It’s not an epidemic,” Trejo said of such rentals in the Estates. “It seems to be isolated.”

Trejo and board secretary Sue Bender noted that the CC&Rs were written 40 years ago, when the Estates was built, and doesn’t specifically address short-term vacation rentals.

“This place was developed as a residential community,” said Bender. “It wasn’t an issue 40 years ago.”

Trejo said two neighbors of a vacation rental on La Plata Court complained at the board meeting last December and he has been in touch with the owner of the vacation rental.

The owner, Cheryl Williams, said she researched county regulations and had a legal team review the CC&Rs to see if renting her house on a short-term basis was within her rights.

“There are no regulations in place that I’m aware of,” she said, adding that she wants to be respectful of her neighbors. “My neighbors and community are important to me.”

Rozelle said she has no problem with rentals of six months or longer, but the short-term rental presents concerns of safety, with different people going in and out, and of large groups and excessive noise.

Williams, who no longer lives full time in Ramona, said family circumstances led to the short-term rental option. She and her children travel to the area approximately once a month, she said.

Since listing the house as a rental last October, Williams said she has been on a learning curve — she has installed security cameras, does not want large groups, and is more careful about screening renters. She said she pays a transient occupancy tax (TOT) to the county.

Rozelle and Estates officials said they have contacted county Supervisor Dianne Jacob’s office about the short-term rental issue and are looking to see what the county might do in terms of regulations.

“I plan to sit down with Country Estates residents who recently contacted my office,” said Jacob in a statement to the Sentinel. “Their HOA has jurisdiction and may be the easiest avenue to address specific concerns, but I’m willing to listen and explore options at the county level.”

A spokesperson for Jacob’s office said the residential vacation rentals have not been an issue on the county’s radar and they have not received other complaints.