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CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: June 17, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Gabriel Elliott, Director of Community Development & Housing Department: Community Development & Housing
Subject: Adoption of Ordinance No. MC-1661 Banning Short-Term Rentals (All Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Ordinance No. MC-1661 amending Section 19.02.050 (Basic Provisions – Definitions) and Chapter 19.04 (Residential Zones) of the City of San Bernardino Development Code banning short-term and vacation rentals in the City of San Bernardino.
City Manager's Comments
The City Manager recommends approval of the adoption of Ordinance No. MC-1661 consistent with City Council action.
Executive Summary
At the April 15 City Council meeting, the City Council introduced and read by title only and waived further reading of Ordinance No. MC-1661 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, amending Section 19.02.050 (Basic Provisions – Definitions) and Chapter 19.04 (Residential Zones) of the City of San Bernardino Development Code (SBMC Title 19) banning short term and vacation rentals in the City of San Bernardino.
Background
The consideration of a Short-Term Rental program was continued from the City Council meeting of March 18, 2026, to allow staff to present a Regulatory Program to initiate a 2-Year Pilot Program at the direction of the City Council. At the City Council meeting of April 15, 2026, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. MC-1661 banning Short- Term Rentals in the City of San Bernardino.
Discussion
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The City’s Municipal Code (SBMC) does not specifically address short-term rentals.
However, a commercial use is generally prohibited in residential zones, unless specifically permitted. Because the SBMC does not expressly prohibit or allow short- term rentals, the issue of the SBMC’s intent is disputed by residential property owners who wish to lease to tourists and/or retreatants for short stays. The City of San Bernardino does not currently have an ordinance that expressly regulates STRs and has experienced the negative effects of excessive noise, parking problems and discarded trash on surrounding properties, resulting in numerous complaints, creating a threat to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, and welfare of the community. The convenience and marketability of online Short-Term Rental websites such as Airbnb.com, Homeaway.com, and VRBO.com have encouraged City property owners (and leaseholders) to rent residential properties to tourists and other visitors on a short-term basis.
To manage the ban on short-term rentals, the City has engaged the services of Deckard Technologies, a company that utilizes data science expertise to assist local governments with managing compliance activity and enforcement, such as short-term rentals properties. The latest proposal from Deckard Technologies is attached (Attachment 2).
Deckard Technologies will utilize Rentalscape, a platform that accurately tracks activity within the City of San Bernardino to identify the exact addresses of the STR listings within the City limits. This enables accurate display of STR activity within the City and its community districts. With the ban in place, Deckard Technologies will collect the following information regarding active STRs in the City of San Bernardino:
1. Information on STRs currently active in the City of San Bernardino;
2. The aggregate revenue from actively listed bookings;
3. The average number of nights booked per reservation;
4. The major platforms used by STR hosts;
5. Average daily rates;
6. Booking trends during the Reporting Period;
7. Identify, by address, the violations of STR ordinances within the City;
8. Identify the actively listed STRs by month and address;
9. The total number of properties actively listed in the City of San Bernardino during the Reporting Period;
10.List the property owners; and
11.List the permit history of each property offering STRs in the San Bernardino.
Service Cost include the following:
1. Annual Software Subscription: $8,500 (Identification, Compliance Monitoring and Rental Activity based on properties that are listed in Rentalscape as identified STRs).
2. Outreach Campaign: Included to drive compliance. Three letter campaign to inform and encourage property owners to become compliant with the 3 3
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Registration Process.
3. 24/7 Live Hotline & Online Form. $5,000 annually. Classic Level Live Answered Hotline and Online Form that can dispatch to responsible parties depending on identified call and form flow.
4. Maximum Price: In no event will the total subscription fees in the first year exceed $13,500. Future years’ renewals will be subject to an annual increase.
Strategic Targets and Goals
A Development Code Amendment banning Short Term or vacation rentals is consistent with the City’s General Plan and aligns with Key Target Goal No. 3:
Improved Quality of Life and, more specifically, 3a: Improve the City’s appearance, cleanliness, and attractiveness. Specifically, a ban will update the Development Code to prohibit short term and vacation rentals in all residential zones, while regulating the land use will provide the City with the tools that will ensure consistency with the City’s land use designations as required by the City’s General Plan.
Fiscal Impact
Aside from the $13,500 annual subscription fee for Deckard Technologies’ services, there may be other costs associated with city staff time following through with the information provided by Deckard Technologies.
There is a potential for the City to collect a fine of $1,000 per day from property owners who continue to run STRs in violation of the ban.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Ordinance No. MC-1661 amending Section 19.02.050 (Basic Provisions – Definitions) and Chapter 19.04 (Residential Zones) of the City of San Bernardino Development Code banning short-term and vacation rentals in the City of San Bernardino.
Attachments
Attachment 1 Ordinance No. 1661 – Banning Short Term Rentals Attachment 2 Exhibit A Development Code Section 19.02
Attachment 3 Exhibit B Development Code Section 19.04
Attachment 4 Exhibit C Development Code Section 19.04
Attachment 5 Deckard Technologies Agreement
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
On December 12, 2023, the Planning Commission, by a unanimous vote, adopted Resolution No. 2023-043PC forwarding a recommendation that the Mayor and City Council approve Development Code Amendment 23-01, amending Section 19.02.050 (Basic Provisions – Definitions) and Chapter 19.04 (Residential Zones) of the City of 3 3
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San Bernardino Development Code (SBMC Title 19) in order to establish a Short-Term Rental Program in the City of San Bernardino. The Planning Commission also found that Development Code Amendment 23-01 was exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
On February 21, 2024, staff had presented Development Code Amendment 23-01 (Short-Term Rental Program) to the Mayor and City Council, with a recommendation to adopt a Short-Term rental program and approve Development Code Amendment 23-01 amending Section 19.02.050 (Basic Provisions – Definitions) and Chapter 19.04 (Residential Zones) of the City of San Bernardino Development Code (SBMC Title 19) in order to establish a Short-Term Rental Program in the City of San Bernardino. Staff was directed to bring back further analysis on short-term rentals and program enforcement.
On June 5, 2024, when the item was brought back to the City Council as directed, the Council, by a narrow majority, voted to ban short-term rentals in the city and requested that staff bring back an enforcement plan.
On December 9, 2025, staff presented a Resolution to the Planning Commission banning short-term rentals and Development Code Amendment 25-09 providing the mechanism to adopt the ban. However, the Planning Commission rejected the ban and instead re-forwarded Planning Commission Resolution 2023-043 (Attachment 3) memorializing their decision to push forward a recommendation to approve a regulatory program.
On February 18, 2026, staff presented two Ordinances for consideration, Ord. MC- 1660 adopting a regulatory program, and Ord. MC-1661 banning short-term rentals, along with Development Code amendment 23-01 (Short-Term Rental Program) to the Mayor and City Council, with a recommendation to adopt a Short-Term Rental program and approve Development Code Amendment 23-01 amending Section 19.02.050 (Basic Provisions – Definitions) and Chapter 19.04 (Residential Zones) of the City of San Bernardino Development Code (SBMC Title 19) in order to establish a Short-Term Rental Program in the City of San Bernardino. Staff was directed to bring back a revised regulatory program that would serve as a 2-year pilot program for short-term rentals.
On March 18, 2026, the item was continued to allow staff to provide additional information regarding regulating or prohibiting STRs in the city residential districts.
On April 15, 2026, Ordinance No. MC-1661 was adopted banning short-term rentals in the City of San Bernardino.
CC: Eric Levitt, City Manager