Tim Kiser, the city manager for Grass Valley, presented solutions to the growing number of short term rentals (STR) within the city limits at Tuesday’s city council meeting.

Kiser proposed the use of new monitoring technology, specifically Deckard Technology.

Deckard tracks posts for vacation homes and produces “refined real estate datasets into visual reports and detailed individual property profiles,” according to their website.

Cities must understand the trends in STR’s to enforce ordinances, manage registrations and secure taxes and fees.

Booking platforms such as Airbnb and VERBO are a convenient alternative to hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns. Many go undetected which can be a safety concern, as well as a loss of revenue for the city.

“Short term rentals, or vacation home rentals, are different from hosted short-term rentals where the owner or manager of the property lives on the property and simply rents out a room for supplementary income,” according to Kiser. Both require a minor use permit, a business license, and are subject to other safety measures, according to chapter 17.44.205 of the Code of Ordinances for Residential Land Use.

There are currently only 28 total vacation homes existing within the city limits, or 1% of residential properties within the allowed zones (approx. 2,800), and 24 registered hosted STR’s.

The Council discussed the possibility of placing a cap on the number of STR’s allowed; however, it was determined that the city would continue to monitor the STR’s rather than place a cap.

“STR’s are not such a problem here – not like Truckee or Tahoe,” Mayor Benjamin Aguilar said.

Council member Tom Ivy expressed concern for the revenue the city was losing with STR’s that were not permitted or licensed.

Concerns about the “residential character of the neighborhoods” is also mentioned in the city code.

The city is in the process of entering into a new contract with a STR monitoring and compliance company, Deckard. Deckard will provide insight into the landscape of STRs in the city, and help ensure that the city is enforcing permits, licensing requirements, and other compliance measures.

To contact Staff Writer Marianne Boll-See email mboll-see@theunion.com, or call 530-477-4256.

Tim Kiser, the city manager for Grass Valley, presented solutions to the growing number of short term rentals (STR) within the city limits at Tuesday’s city council meeting.

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