Possible short-term rental crackdown in Orinda following Halloween night shooting
ORINDA, Calif. (KGO) -- Tuesday night's city council meeting began with a moment of silence in honor of the five people who were gunned down Halloween night on Lucille Way.
A neighbor who did not want to give her name said, "Everybody was screaming crying running going from here to there everybody trying to escape."
RELATED: San Francisco father loses third son to gun violence at Halloween Orinda party shooting
And now there's talk of cracking down on short-term rentals-- like the home where the party took place on Thursday night. It was rented through Airbnb.
Airbnb host Suzanne Geoffrion said, "Banning Airbnb is not the solution. Abusers will find another way."
Many in the packed audience were in favor of letting hosts continue to operate short term rentals-- if done responsibly and by the letter of Orinda's laws.
Orinda resident Jules Beardsley said, "I don't know what my mother would do really I don't without that little bit of money she has coming in."
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Short term rental host Carolyn Taaning said, "This is done everywhere, Lafayette, Berkeley, everywhere so where would they stop just because of this one incident."
But others feel strongly one incident is too many and more needs to be done to limit the rentals in Orinda.
Resident Michael Roemer said, "Banning them entirely at least on a temporary basis until we can figure out how to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again."
Dan said, "I'm urging the city council to ban all short term rentals within the city of Orinda."
RELATED: 5th victim dies after shooting at Halloween party at Airbnb in Orinda
The council has the option of considering an all-out ban on short term rentals, requiring hosts to stay on the premises, or mandating a two-night minimum stay in the city.
After making a decision, the council will direct staff to investigate and return with more information on November 19.
