VRMA Administrator
The application period for San Diego, California, short-term rental hosts to enter a lottery to receive one of 6,500 licenses to continue operating closed on Nov. 30. Hosts had to apply for a license if they intend to rent their entire home out for stays more than 20 days a year, and applicants will learn if they have been selected for licensure by Dec. 16. The ordinance will go into force on May 1, 2023. The lottery system will grant highest priority to longer-tenured rental operators who have had no code violations over the last two years. The City Treasurer's office said points will be allocated on a weighted scale that would not necessarily ensure a license, but will improve the probability that "good actors" will receive one. While operators who run rentals less than 20 days a year or rent out a room or two while occupying their home will not need to enter a lottery, they will still require a license, which can be acquired at any time. The ordinance also set a cap on the number of licenses granted at 1 percent of the city's 540,000-plus housing units, or about 5,400.
San Diego Union-Tribune (11/23/22) Emily Alvarenga
