The issue has prompted hundreds of people in San Diego to spend dozens of hours testifying at numerous City Council meetings and literally years of talking about it at city hall.
The issue of course is short term vacation rentals in San Diego. And despite last week’s decision by the council to drastically limit the number of legal short term rentals of homes in neighborhoods across the city, the issue appears to be far from settled.
People on both sides of the issue have had their chance to make their case in front of council members, and now they plan to take it to the voters with the start of a referendum campaign we’ve been telling you about here on KOGO.
According to the San Diego Union Tribune, Airbnb has already spent at least 100-thousand dollars to get the petition drive going. A coalition of short-term rental hosts and vacation rental management companies are leading the campaign to convince San Diego voters to reverse the council’s decision and open up the short term vacation rentals in the city.
But while those on that side of the issue are now geared up, there are people on the other side living in San Diego neighborhoods who don’t want a bunch of short term vacation rentals in their neighborhood.
They may not have as much money as the Airbnb’s and others like them, but they’re just as passionate about it. And if the issue does end up on the ballot for voters to decide, this whole thing has the potential of becoming pretty nasty. That’s because the fight would be one that involves neighbors vs neighbors. And battles like that are usually not very nice.
(Photo credit 10News)