City Reports 191 Short-Term Rentals; 54% Have Obtained Licenses Under New Ordinance
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Summary
Staff reported 191 short-term rentals in Avondale, 104 of which hold active licenses under the city’s licensing program; the city described enforcement steps, neighbor-notification requirements and a $250 annual license fee.
City staff reported an inventory of 191 short-term rental (STR) properties in Avondale during a March 3 council presentation, and described the city's new licensing program, outreach and planned enforcement steps.
Keith Falstrom, assistant director of finance and budget, said the ordinance — passed by council Oct. 3, 2023 — created a licensing program for short-term rentals and the licensing system became effective Feb. 1, 2025. "Short term rentals are rented for less than 30 days," Falstrom told council, and staff contracted with a vendor to help identify listings and run targeted outreach.
Falstrom reported the city’s counts as of Feb. 19, 2025: 191 short-term rentals in the city; 104 active licensed listings (about 54%), 68 unlicensed, and 19 unlicensed but pending neighbor notifications. The annual license fee is $250. Licensing requirements the city lists include displaying emergency contact information inside the unit, maintaining $500,000 of liability insurance and notifying nearby neighbors with contact information; Falstrom said some marketplace platforms provide background checks and insurance services that owners use to meet requirements.
Falstrom said staff delayed penalties to May 1, 2024, to allow outreach and education; no penalties have been issued to date. For properties that do not comply after outreach, Code Compliance will open a case, investigate and issue a notice of violation, then seek compliance or proceed with civil citations and court referrals if necessary.
Josh Perez of Code Compliance described the enforcement workflow: investigators will verify alleged violations, issue a notice of violation with a 30-day cure period, and, if the property continues to be offered without a license, issue civil citations that move to Avondale City Court. Perez said compliance officers will monitor properties for ongoing violations and coordinate with other departments to address related issues.
Council members asked about geographic concentrations and how the city will monitor repeated listings after a property takes a listing down. Falstrom said the vendor provides an interactive map identifying clusters and that the Rancho Santa Fe area corresponds to the highest concentration shown on the map. Perez said compliance staff will use online-monitoring tools and the city's programs to track properties over time.
No enforcement penalties were announced at the meeting. Council members indicated support for outreach and monitoring while the licensing program continues to be implemented.