Editor:
Mike Reinman’s letter (“Share Trinidad,” Dec. 24) regarding vacation rentals (VDUs) in Trinidad contains several factual errors and omissions. He believes that the most egregious impacts of vacation rentals (turning VDUs into “party houses”) is a matter for law enforcement, not property managers. Yet Trinidad has no police department, and a part-time sheriff’s deputy. He also fails to mention that some of the more troublesome “party houses” are not just in Trinidad, but in the adjacent Westhaven and Moonstone Beach areas. There is no practical way to enforce “nuisance” ordinances in Trinidad or the surrounding areas.
Mr. Reinman also states that Trinidad’s restriction on VDU’s violates the Coastal Act. In fact, Trinidad’s existing restrictions were approved by the Coastal Commission in early 2015. Mr. Reinman should know this since he submitted a lengthy email to the commission opposing a critical section of Trinidad’s regulations.
Lastly, nowhere in his letter does Mr. Reinman disclose that he owns Redwood Coast Vacation Rentals and has a strong financial motivation for opposing Trinidad’s restrictions.
My wife and I have rented many vacation homes through VRBO. These property owners or managers make it clear to renters what is not acceptable behavior. Security deposits will be forfeit if violations of the rules occur, and tenancy can be immediately terminated. Common rules in every home we’ve rented are limitations on the number of occupants, “quiet time” restrictions, and a firm “no parties” rule.
The vast majority of visitors to Humboldt County are wonderful guests. Unfortunately, a few “bad apples” turn vacation rentals into party houses. By the time neighbors can contact anyone about this, it is too late. Neighbors have already been disturbed, and a mild “slap on the wrist” is too little, too late. If Mr. Reinman and others enforced their rules these problems would not exist.
John Garland Graves, Trinidad
This article appears in Top 10 Stories of 2015.
Thank you.
Thank you Mr. Graves!
If you read the ads, many of the vacation rental homes in Trinidad are purposely set up as party places, providing guests with more amenities than big bar rooms or hotels. Some of the VRs provide pool tables, ping pong tables, dart boards, hot tubs, saunas, outdoor fire rings, you name it. On top of bar room amenities, the owners/property managers have come up with creative ways to cram more people into VRs by converting dens, living rooms, libraries, artist studios, basements, garages, etc., into bedrooms. If you want to have a wild party and need more places for people to sleep, no problem, the property managers can get you set up with king beds, queen beds, single beds, bunk beds, sleeper couches, cots, blow-up mattresses–heck, you can just sleep on the floor if there aren’t enough beds and you’re too drunk to drive home–what a racket!