Zac Rivera has lived on his quiet, residential street in East Sacramento for roughly 40 years. But until last year, he had never before encountered a situation quite like the one he finds himself in now.
The home next to Rivera’s on La Purissima Way has been converted into a short-term rental on Airbnb by owners who live in Seattle.
“There’s a steady stream of strangers,” Rivera explained. “There’s nobody I can call other than the city about the noise or the parking.”
Rivera — who printed out “No Airbnb” lawn signs that are now sprinkled down the block — says there have been several times when guests have been disruptive by parking in front of people’s driveways and throwing loud parties. He described a time 12 college students from UC Berkeley all stayed in the home — double the number of people who are legally allowed to live there.
“The city came here to enforce the rules, but by that point it was dinner time and they were starting to leave,” Rivera said.
Carl Simpson, Sacramento’s Code and Housing Enforcement Chief, said his division “very, very rarely” gets complaints about Airbnb, but that the biggest challenge is enforcing how many people are staying in one property at a time.
“The ordinance is requiring us to be the bedroom police,” Simpson said. “That is difficult to do.”
Mike Baiocchi is the owner of the Airbnb on La Purissima Way. From his home in Seattle, he told ABC10 he wasn’t upfront with his neighbors about his plans to rent out the home as an Airbnb but that he does have a unique situation for using it that way.
Baiochhi has a 7-year-old son who lives in Sacramento.
“The entire purpose of the home was not for profit,” Baiocchi said. “It was to just be able to make this possible to have a home when I visit to see my son.”
Baiocchi said he is selective with who he allows to rent the home, and since his neighbors began complaining, he has implemented even stricter house rules.
But Rivera says it’s not enough. He wants the city to abolish all non-owner occupied Airbnbs.
Officials with the city say that is not something they plan to do, however they are working on updating the ordinance. A plan in the works now would potentially limit the number of properties a person who does not live in the area can rent out.
The city council is expected to vote on the ordinance in August.
