The moratorium, which the Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Tuesday as an urgency ordinance, will take effect immediately and last at least 45 days.
Sarah Jones, the CDA's assistant director, told the board that county officials have heard from those who live and work in West Marin, particularly law enforcement officers and school employees, that they are concerned about not being able to hire and retain employees due to a lack of housing in unincorporated communities like Point Reyes Station, Bolinas and Inverness.
While the moratorium could be extended up to two years, county officials stressed that it is not a full ban on short-term vacation rentals, and that existing rentals may continue to operate as normal. Marin County's moratorium on new permits comes two weeks after the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a similar moratorium while local planning officials develop their own regulations for vacation rentals.