Orinda City Council To Discuss Short-Term Rental Rules After Deadly Halloween Shooting

ORINDA (CBS SF) -- The City Council in Orinda is set to meet Tuesday night for the first time since the Halloween party mass shooting that killed five people last week as city officials discuss possible changes to its short-term rental rules.

There are growing concerns about AirBnB short-term rentals in the wake of the out-of-control party that led to the deadly Orinda shooting last Thursday night.

"I'm very distressed about the events of last week," one resident told KPIX 5.

"I would hate to see a total ban on AirBnBs because of this incident, but I think there has to be closer monitoring," said Orinda resident Leslie Wagstaffe.

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The city council will be looking at two-day minimum stays for AirBnB instead of the current one-night minimum, but officials could eliminate Airbnb entirely. Another possible stipulation could require that the owner be at the home when renting out a room.

But Orinda resident Eric Preminger told KPIX 5 the problem wasn't the short-term online rental marketplace.

"It is not about short-term rentals. It is not about AirBnB. It is about enforcement if the laws that are in place," said Preminger.

According to police records, a noise complaint was called into police at 9:19 p.m. Halloween night in connection with the party at a large home on the 100 block of Lucille Way in the Orinda hills. But Orinda police had responded to assist with a violent home invasion robbery in Lafayette that delayed police response to noise complaints.

90 minutes later at 10:48 p.m., an officer is headed to the scene moments, just before shots rang out.

"Those two guys were in Lafayette helping those guys. What we need is more law enforcement and more police men," said Preminger.

Orinda currently requires short-term rentals to register with the city and pay an occupancy tax. The City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Orinda Library Auditorium.

In another possible development, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting authorities are looking into a potential link between the Orinda shooting and a quadruple shooting in San Francisco.

One of the victims in Orinda is reportedly the younger brother of the man charged with killing four men in Hayes Valley in January 2015.

San Francisco police have not commented on the possible connection.

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