ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Two Albuquerque city councilors are proposing a new bill to limit the number of short-term rentals available in certain parts of the city. Councilors Joaquin Baca and Nicole Rogers are co-sponsoring the bill, which aims to regulate the number of homes that can be used as short-term rentals, such as those listed on sites like Airbnb, in specific areas.
The bill follows a similar attempt last year, which failed to pass. However, Baca believes the changes made will increase its chances of success.
“We’ve changed it, so it’s much smaller; it’s not city-wide,” Baca said last month when he spoke to KRQE on the bill’s introduction. “Two, there are a lot of protections for existing Airbnb owners. Three, I think attitudes have changed a lot over the last year.”
The proposed ordinance would specifically impact areas like Old Town, where concerns have been growing. The final action on the proposal is expected during the City Council meeting on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, the council is also considering a resolution that could temporarily halt new permit fees for food truck vendors.
Sponsored by Councilor Klarissa Peña, the resolution proposes a moratorium on these fees until a new city ordinance is passed. This comes after several food truck owners experienced significant increases in their permit fees earlier in August.
Skylar Wallace, the owner of Las Chanclitas 3, expressed concern about the increased costs last month.
“Just recently, we found out that our environmental health permit is being increased from $150 to $900,” Wallace said.
The resolution seeks to continue the pause on permit fees for three months while the City Council works to clarify the distinctions between permits for traditional restaurants and food trucks. If passed, the Environmental Health Department will have 60 days to explain the recent fee changes.
