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Pacifica council narrows short-term rental rules, signals 60-night cap and tighter operator rules
Summary
Pacifica’s City Council spent a continuation hearing on April 14 narrowing major choices in a proposed short‑term rental ordinance, directing staff to prepare a draft that would cap rentals at 60 nights per year, require local 30‑minute responsible‑party responses, exclude children under 6 from occupancy counts, require a signed insurance certificate with permit applications, and prohibit operators from using ADUs as the primary hosted residence.
Pacifica’s City Council spent the April 14 continuation hearing on short‑term rentals narrowing several major policy choices and giving staff firm direction to draft a revised ordinance for Planning Commission review and later City Council hearings.
Council members signaled they want a 60‑night annual cap on short‑term rentals (STRs), tighter limits on how operators may use accessory dwelling units, clarified occupancy limits that exclude young children, and stronger local response and accountability requirements for operators and platform listings. The council did not adopt a final ordinance tonight; staff will revise the draft and return it to the Planning Commission and then to council, and the city will submit any local coastal plan (LCP) amendment required by the California Coastal Commission after council adoption.
The direction matters because the council’s choices will affect coastal‑zone rental availability, enforcement needs and how the city balances housing supply with visitor lodging. Community Development Director Samantha Updegrave told the council the city is now focusing deliberations on “the maximum rental nights, allowing ADUs to be the primary residence for hosted STRs, occupancy limits, and complaint response time.” She said staff will incorporate the council’s direction and take the revised ordinance to the Planning Commission for review before returning it to council.
On the number of nights: City…
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