SACRAMENTO – The Senate on Monday approved Senator Steve Glazer’s bill to deter people from taking advantage of short-term rentals to host disruptive and unsafe house parties. A mass shooting in Orinda that killed five and injured four others at a party hosted at an AirBnB rental last Halloween sparked the legislation.

The bill, SB 1049, was approved on a bipartisan vote, 32-7, and moves to the Assembly.

“This is an important bill that gives cities and counties the power to enforce their laws in a way that will get the attention of those who abuse their right to rent out a home,” Senator Glazer said.

SB 1049 would authorize a city and county to impose a fine of up to $5,000 for a violation of a short-term rental ordinance. Many homes get rented for $1,000, $2,000, or $3,000, or more dollars per night. In these instances, a few hundred dollars per violation is not enough to deter bad actors from trying to make a quick profit.

In the last half of 2019, 42 people were shot inside or just outside a short-term rental property nationwide and 17 people died. Perhaps the worst of these tragedies occurred in Orinda, where five people were killed.

Short term rentals such as AirBnB, HomeAway, and VRBO have become increasingly popular. AirBnb alone lists short-term rentals in 81,000 cities and 191 countries.

“Short-term rentals offer a way to improve tourism and earn owners extra money, but unfortunately, there have been some bad actors that have used the platform to host large parties,” Senator Glazer said. “These large gatherings have made some short-term rental properties the site of underage drinking, brawls, and noise complaints. Hopefully, my bill will act as a deterrent to such behavior.”