An aerial view of Highway 85 cutting through a residential neighborhood in Saratoga, California.

Earlier this month, a wealthy Bay Area city enacted a complete and total ban on short-term rentals there after numerous complaints were filed by residents over loud parties, piles of trash and cars filling the streets. Weeks later, the mayor of Saratoga is questioning whether the policy will be enough to stop people from listing their homes on popular platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo.

The ordinance, adopted by Saratoga City Council on Feb. 4 and following in the footsteps of Sausalito’s recent ban, makes listing and promoting the rental of properties a punishable crime. Saratoga officials noted the “rules are put in place to avoid increased traffic, noise, and the high turnover of short-term renters on quiet streets where residents value stability and privacy.” 

Article continues below this ad

Fines range from $1,500 for the first offense, $3,000 for the second and $5,000 for the third and each additional offense within one year of the first violation, Saratoga mayor Chuck Page told SFGATE. He added that he and the city council will be receiving reports from a third-party agency that will comb through listings and notify officials of any violators, allowing them to penalize residents from there. But it remains to be seen just how successful the initiative will be. 

“I’m concerned because it doesn’t stop any of the behavior residents are complaining about,” Page said over the phone Thursday afternoon. “I’d much rather work together with people to help make things better from the beginning than slam a stick down.”

Up until recently, Page described the ban........

© SFGate