Encinitas residents could see new rules on short-term rentals, mobile home rents and beach protection when the City Council meets Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m.
A public hearing and final vote on Ordinance No. 2026-15 tops the agenda. The measure would let the city compel platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to hand over host data, including addresses, permit status and nights booked.
The ordinance implements Senate Bill 346, a state law that took effect Jan. 1 but requires cities to adopt their own ordinance before they can use it.
The council voted 4-0 on Sept. 23 to give the ordinance initial approval, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. That vote also extended short-term rental permits from one year to three years and added measures to improve collection of the city's transient occupancy tax. Encinitas has more than 300 permitted short-term rentals. Enforcement efforts have turned up nearly 300 unpermitted ones.
At the Sept. 23 meeting, Mayor Bruce Ehlers said inspections of compliant hosts had gone too far. "I totally understand fire extinguisher checking and smoke detector checking in the (rental) unit, but to then expand that to the entire property seems a bit on the excessive side," Ehlers told the Union-Tribune.
Mobile home rent moratorium
Ehlers also placed a council-initiated item asking staff to study whether Encinitas can freeze mobile home space rents at Jan. 1 levels until a permanent "rent fairness ordinance" is adopted. The agenda directs staff to answer whether the freeze could pass as an urgency ordinance, to compile a list of every mobile home park in the city and to evaluate similar ordinances elsewhere in California.
The agenda describes mobile home parks as "a naturally occurring affordable housing solution." Staff would report back at a future meeting.
Sand replenishment and El Niño prep
Deputy Mayor Jim O'Hara is asking the council to direct staff to develop a sand replenishment and erosion mitigation plan. Federal forecasters say there is a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a statewide emergency on Sept. 21 to fast-track permitting for storm protection.
The threat is already visible locally. A bluff section at Grandview Beach collapsed Sept. 18, forcing closure of the beach stairs, NBC 7 reported. The stairs had undergone a nearly $1 million refurbishment earlier in 2026. A 2019 collapse at the same site killed three people.
O'Hara's item directs staff to report on current beach conditions, explore replenishment options, coordinate with state and regional partners and develop a funding strategy. A staff report is due Nov. 15. Encinitas and Solana Beach already participate in a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers replenishment project approved for sand deliveries every seven to 10 years for the next 50 years, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Other agenda items
The council will also consider Ordinance 2026-11, which would establish local traffic study requirements and fair-share contribution guidelines for new development. A separate item would direct staff to pursue a memorandum of understanding with the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce for Phase 1 of the Coastal Cultural Loop Program, creating Surf and Skate and Historic Downtown loops.
On the consent calendar, a $733,080 amendment to the San Diego Rescue Mission services agreement would bring that contract to $1,102,061.
The meeting airs live on Cox Channel 19, Spectrum Channel 24 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.
