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Here can you read about live updates, letters to the City Council and our candid thoughts as we embark on this journey. We are fighting against small-minded approaches that wish to shut Pacifica off from the rest of the Bay. The opposition seems "afraid of strangers" and don't want people coming to our town — unless they stay in hotels — away from our neighborhoods. We feel differently. We believe tourism, when managed well, is good for our town and good for our community.

Expensive Program

Oct 03, 2024

Clarification for Voters and City Council Members,

At the council meeting on August 24, 2024 (at 48m 20s thru 54 minutes), a Council Member shared that the program to run short-term rentals was expensive and therefore not profitable to the city.

It turns out this is not quite true.

I found the source where the Council Member mentioned that the city is still short $40,000. It's on page 76 of the FY23-24 city budget book. Essentially, the permit fees short-term rentals paid amounted to $243,300, while the cost of the STR program was $285,300 — leaving a shortfall of $42,000.

However, the permit fees are just a small portion of what our Airbnb operators contribute. Including the TOT, we've already contributed $2M, while the city's cost is only $285K. And of course, in addition to ToT there are the millions of dollars in tourism revenue that goes directly to small businesses. I think this point deserves clarification.

In solidarity with numerous small businesses across multiple districts, we stand against the City Council's proposal to implement a 90-day cap on unhosted rentals. This proposed ordinance not only poses a threat to small businesses but also unfairly penalizes operators who have consistently maintained good standing. The decision is not only fiscally irresponsible but also detrimental to the economic well-being of Pacifica.

- Arlene

Sales Tax vs ToT

Sept 12, 2024

Dear Mayor and City Council Members,

At the council meeting on September 9, 2024, someone mentioned a comparison between the revenue generated by short-term rentals through Tourist Occupancy Tax (ToT) and permitting fees versus the tax revenue from long-term residents. I want to share some thoughts on this comparison.

While we don't have exact data on how much revenue STR generates, we do have the number of sales tax revenue collected by the city last year, which was $3.3 million. This amount was collected by ALL residents and ALL tourists alike.

We have a total of 14,523 housing units. Let's be generous to the argument and assume that tourists didn't contribute any sales tax revenue. That means each housing unit would generate $227 in sales tax. That's 3,300,000 / 14,523 = $227. If we assume that the 150 units are all unhosted and will be converted to long-term rentals with an average household size, that would bring in 227 * 150 = $34,000 in sales tax revenue, far below the $2MM tax revenue currently generated by STRs.

This calculation is based on an extreme assumption, excluding any sales tax generated by tourists. If we factor in tourist-generated sales tax, the actual sales tax revenue per housing unit would be less than $227 per year, further reducing the $34,000 estimated from converting 150 STR units to long-term rentals. Therefore, the idea that long-term rentals would generate as much or more revenue than the ToT from STRs does not seem based on solid grounds.

Best,
Albert


Outside Perspective

Sept 13, 2024

I was just struck by our latest review. You can describe all the wonderful people that come to Pacifica because of short-term rentals, but nothing quite takes the place of reading what they say when they leave. Please, just read it!

“Fun & relaxing stay at this cozy cottage. Xiaojing is an exceptional host...helpful, responsive & respects your privacy. Cottage has everything you need for comfy nights, movie watching, or daily sunset strolls on the pier or beach, a walk or catching Bart into San Francisco. Restaurants, markets, antique stores & golf course within walking distance. Loved our time in Pacifica!”

“Keep doing what you are doing! Appreciate how easy you make remembering the door code & all the special touches. Your kindness & understanding & knowledge of the area were such a gift! Thank you!”

- Albert


In The News

Sept 07, 2024

We were in the news!

SF Standard wrote about the division in our city over this issue. To be clear, there is no need for division. Pacifica for Responsible Tourism wants to address and resolve every concern of every citizen who has been wronged by bad acting hosts. We care about our community! You can read the article here:

SF Standard
Pacifica is at war with itself over Airbnb rules

You can also see us on these media outlets:

KRON 4
Short-term Rental Restrictions Under Consideration in Pacifica

KPIX CBS
Lines drawn in Pacifica over short term rentals

KQED
Residents of Pacifica Divided

- Russell

Lobbyist Concerns

Aug 28, 2024

Dear Members of the Pacifica City Council,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to follow up on the concerns I previously raised regarding the proposed regulations on short-term rentals (STRs) in our community. I appreciate the council's ongoing efforts to balance the interests of all Pacifica residents. In the course of my research, I discovered that some of the advocacy and materials submitted to various councils, including Pacifica's, may be associated with groups like Better Neighbors LA. It's important to note that Better Neighbors LA is not a nonprofit organization but operates as a lobbying entity under ShareBetter Los Angeles, LLC. This organization's efforts are closely aligned with the interests of the hotel industry, aiming to reduce competition from short-term rentals through strict regulation and enforcement.

Additionally, it has come to our attention (via partial RPA responses with more still pending) that in other jurisdictions where Better Neighbors LA has been involved, very similar letters and arguments were submitted to local councils by anti-STR proponents. This pattern suggests a coordinated effort that may not fully reflect the unique needs and perspectives of Pacifica's residents. While I respect the viewpoints that Better Neighbors LA and its affiliates bring to the discussion, I believe it is crucial for the council to consider the broader context of their advocacy.

Understanding the nature of their operations and the replication of their strategies across different communities can help ensure that decisions are made with full awareness of the various interests at play — particularly those that may not be representative of our local community's best interests.

As a long-time resident of the region, I am deeply invested in the future of our local communities, including Pacifica. I urge the council to weigh all perspectives carefully and ensure that any new regulations do not disproportionately impact local hosts who comply with existing laws and contribute positively to our community.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to the council's continued thoughtful consideration of this important issue.

Sincerely,
Chris

Shared Community

Aug 26, 2024

Last time I spoke to the City Council, I shared a little about me and my husband and our unhosted Airbnb. I shared that we live in our home, but often rent it out, when we travel for my husband's work or when we want to raise capital for future improvements. I shared that with that money, we replaced the roof on our home, added solar panels and now contribute more to the energy grid than we use, replaced the fencing around our property and have completed other major improvements. We care about our community. We care about our home. We contribute a lot to this community.

Since then, I have been told by members of the group Pacifica Homes are Not Hotels that they don't need to speak to us, that they know most of the council members and are friends with them — and that this matter has already been decided. Without us.

Is THIS the type of community we are trying to build?

If you do this without listening to our needs.... If you do this without understanding how damaging this would be for some of us.... Then you are legitimizing this notion, that newcomers aren't welcome. That change and the economic vitality of this community isn't important to you. And that you are sated by the notion that a handful of well-intentioned but short-sighted individuals get to decide the future of our city without the engagement of the rest of us.

Someone once said, 'Knowing is an intellectual barrier to learning.'

For anyone who came here with their mind made-up, I hope that you will listen. We care about our community. We care about our frustrated citizens, but If you have a pest problem, you don't burn down your own house to solve it. And yet, this is what Pacifica Homes are Not Hotels is suggesting. We have a few bad actors — so let's hurt our own economy to fix the problem.

If the City decides to ban or further restrict unhosted STRs, it would likely lead to a "significant reduction in STR permits from compliant hosts, significantly impacting the economic benefits that the STR program provides to the local economy and local businesses. This may also result in a crucial drop in City revenues between $1.5 - $1.7 million per year, which may lead to the inevitable reductions of already underfunded city services."

There are some in our community who believe we can thrive without a tourist economy. I do not believe this. A thriving healthy economy is built on a diversity of stimuli. We have a cap on number of units, we need to focus on effective policy that makes enforcement pay for itself and allows the city to remove bad actors who are not contributing to these neighborhoods.

We hear the concerns of the other side. We hope that you will HEAR ours.

- Russell