(Freedom.news) Local communities are of course free to regulate themselves as they see fit, but when city officials begin to specify the amount of time you can or cannot spend taking your own vacation, it’s probably time to find someplace else to visit.

As noted by Watchdog.org and the Ventura County Star, the city council in the town of Ojai, California, voted recently 5-0 to make property rentals of less than 30 days illegal in all parts of the city, which is located in a picturesque valley north of Los Angeles.

At issue: Ojai has become one of an increasing number of towns and cities around the country that are either imposing or newly enforcing bans on when and how people can utilize their own property.

The Star noted:

The council’s decision primarily targets informal rentals advertised online through sites such as Airbnb and VRBO, which have proliferated in Ojai and across the country in recent years.

“This online business model circumvents and undermines community zoning laws. It is also an assault on legitimate licensed businesses playing by the rules,” said Councilwoman Betsy Clapp. “These seemingly harmless home-based hotels … impact school enrollment, housing stock, volunteerism and community cohesion. I’ve seen how they have turned neighbor against neighbor. They are not good for our town.”

And, the paper reported, some said the properties provided necessary accommodations in the city while others said they relied on rental income for their livelihood.

Watchdog.org noted futher:

For those unfamiliar with the world of short-term vacation rentals, here’s how it works: a property owner can list their home on websites like Airbnb or VRBO, which work as middle-men, connecting available rental homes with vacationers from all around the world who might want to stay in Ojai.

These sites offer a unique (some would say better) travel experience, allowing visitors to stay in a real home rather than a stuffy, anonymous hotel room.

This kind of an arrangement takes consent from the property owner and the potential renter, and maybe with some legal assistance from third parties like Airbnb; there really isn’t a need for government to intervene in this relationship unless or until a crime is actually committed on the property, as in, perhaps, a renter trashing the place or attempting to leave without paying the tab.

But apparently the city council and not a few city residents don’t see it that way. The majority of residents who showed up at the council’s meeting a few weeks back when the issue was being discussed wanted the ban enforced (it had already been in place).

So there you have it – another example of nanny government interfering in the business of a property owner who ought to have the right to decide how he or she utilizes that property within the context of an otherwise legal arrangement.

Reasonable people can disagree, of course, but if there are a few bad apples renting short-term, the local government certainly can, and should, hold them to account and expose them to the court system. However government should not be in the business of punishing innocent short-termers and harming the commerce between them and property owners.

The best bet is this: If you were thinking about visiting Ojai, find somewhere else to go. The town obviously doesn’t want you or your business unless you come on their terms.

See also:

Watchdog.org

Ventura County Star

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