Santa Fe city councilors were still debating a contentious proposal late Wednesday to add new restrictions for short-term rental owners who rent rooms and homes through popular tech platforms such as Airbnb.
City councilors listened to lengthy public discussion and their own sustained debate in a meeting that stretched late into the night on whether the city should impose measures meant to rein in illegal rentals and cut back on permitted ones in historic, residential neighborhoods where people have complained of an endless parade of tourists where neighbors once lived.
Against the backdrop of the discussion is an extremely tight housing market in Santa Fe, where many testify to the great difficulty of finding a vacant, affordable apartment.