Inyo County and City of Bishop Ask Short-Term Rentals to Follow Health Orders

A letter is on its way to residents with Short-Term Rentals asking for compliance with the State’s Stay-at-Home health orders by not renting to those from out of the area. The logic is seamless: if vacation travel violates health orders, we shouldn’t give those travelers a place to stay.

Both the Inyo County Board of Supervisors and Bishop’s City Council approved the letter at the request of Mono County and the Town of Mammoth Lakes both of whom have taken flack for enforcing Governor Gavin Newsom’s travel ban with their residents pointing to Inyo County and Bishop as sources of violators of that ban.

Newsom’s order closed businesses through late December then was extended for another four weeks with Counties able to go back to the appropriate COVID-status/color tier once hospital Intensive Care Unit bed capacity fell at or above 15-percent. Until then, Inyo is stuck in the Southern Region with a current ICU capacity of “0.”

The lure to travelers to the Eastern Sierra is the Mammoth Mountain ski resort which lies outside the Mammoth Lakes city limits and operates under different COVID restrictions.

, , , ,

21 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Pamela Tillman
Pamela Tillman
2 years ago

They have to enforce the law. That is a horrible way to run the town by blaming owners for their loss by blaming them for following the rules. Make that public if you have any morals.

Mile High Mania
Mile High Mania
2 years ago
Reply to  Pamela Tillman

All tourists coming to Mammoth are now
Essential travelers..

Concerned
Concerned
2 years ago

The problem is that the county issues this letter but then they don’t enforce the current orders. They make a lot of excuses for not enforcing the rules, but my question is why bother writing this letter if at the end of the day they aren’t going to provide any… Read more »

Keith
Keith
2 years ago
Reply to  Concerned

You probably do not realize this, but the reason they only “ask” is to get business owners to take it upon themselves and bear the burden and cost of “Following the Health Orders”. That way the county can put the responsibility for the financial losses on the business owners, and… Read more »

Bishop Local
Bishop Local
2 years ago

Maybe Mammoth Lakes and Mono County should pay their mortgages then.

Keith
Keith
2 years ago
Reply to  Bishop Local

They should pay for all the expenses of owning a property as a short term rental business. Whatever applies per each situation. Mortgage, all utilities, HOA fees, property taxes, all expenses they have to cover by owning and running a property as a business.

quacque
quacque
2 years ago
Reply to  Keith

you sound like a socialist, keith. and you sound like a speculator who is also a sore loser.

Keith
Keith
2 years ago
Reply to  quacque

Nope, actually quite the contrary. I am pro Free Market Capitalism, and want limited government. However, if the government is going to force businesses to foot the bill for their policies then yeah let the government cover the expenses or get the hell out of the way.

David Dennison
David Dennison
2 years ago
Reply to  Keith

Keith Everything isn’t a lawsuit,even though in this day and age some think it is. Do you really think small business owners that happen to lose money during a Nationwide pandemic are entitled to,or more important,would win a lawsuit against the County or State for money lost ? I think… Read more »

BobK
BobK
2 years ago

Just shut down the Gas stations from Mojave north. That will slow
down the migration north. Might even slow down some locals that are driving around checking on everyone elses business.

monocrater2@yahoo.com
2 years ago

Mono person I don’t think your really a mono resident, you act and behave like someone who is secondary home owner up here or even worst a tourist. You can’t have it all, your perspective is jaded and not based on facts/data. You encourage bad behavior and you thinking opening… Read more »

Mono Person
Mono Person
2 years ago

Been here since 1972….I can think for myself and do not have to resort to name calling.

David Dennison
David Dennison
2 years ago

Speaking for myself,I sure wouldn’t want to do a short-term rental,then find out a couple days later the property had been rented out to some super-spreader family from L.A. County for a week before I was staying there.

Tinner
Tinner
2 years ago

If the vacation destination was closed or limited like so many other businesses maybe their would be fewer vacation travelers. I smell a Chicago style grease job. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, when the heck are we gonna learn? If I had a short… Read more »

Mono Person
Mono Person
2 years ago

When are you guys going to get over it?? It’s done, the doors are open and let them come. The mountain is making fistfuls of cash, and you are wanting to close down the mom and pops – how embarrassing..

Mile High Mania
Mile High Mania
2 years ago
Reply to  Mono Person

That’s exactly what needs to happen..Get over it… everyone will
Eventually get this Flu no matter where you hide.
In the meantime Every business in the
Eastern Sierra files Bankruptcy.

desco
desco
2 years ago

You think some of these short term rental owners even have a license? It’s pretty much a cash business.

Charlie
Charlie
2 years ago

Is it true that Mammoth Mountain has it’s own rules?! Wouldn’t MMSA be included in the southern region just like Bishop and Mammoth Lakes? Why aren’t hotels/motels in Bishop forced to validate people staying for business? You can drive through town and see suvs stacked with skis clearly not here… Read more »

SUP395
SUP395
2 years ago
Reply to  Charlie

Charlie to answer your question. Ski resorts were not included on the Stay at Home order. There was talk about looking into it but I haven’t heard much beyond that.

David Dennison
David Dennison
2 years ago
Reply to  SUP395

SUP 395 There is no REAL stay at home order for anyone,other than those trying to spin it that way. What I think Charlie is trying to say is why doesn’t MMSA have to abide by the rules for the vast number of SoCal tourists,catering to them with the open… Read more »

dean
dean
2 years ago

If an owner violates this order they lose their license to operate. Endangering the public’s health should not be taken lightly.