Mayor Edwin M. Lee and City Administrator Naomi Kelly today announced the appointment of Kevin Guy as Director of the newly created Office of Short-Term Rental Administration and Enforcement. Funded in the Mayor’s FY 15-17 budget, the “one-stop” shop is intended to streamline the application process for the City’s short-term rental registry and more aggressively coordinate complaints and enforcement of the City’s short-term rental regulations. 

“Homesharing is good for San Francisco and it’s here to stay, and Kevin Guy is the right person to lead our efforts to register and regulate short-term rentals and enforce our laws,” said Mayor Lee. “Homesharing helps many San Franciscans make ends meet and stay in our City, brings new visitors and tourists to our neighborhood small businesses and will bring in millions of dollars in additional tax revenues to fund vital services for all our residents. With more than 15 years of planning experience, Kevin Guy has extensive knowledge and experience in navigating large projects through the planning process in our diverse neighborhoods that make him uniquely qualified to hold the important role of leading the City’s Office of Short Term Rental Administration and Enforcement.” 

“With Kevin Guy at the helm of the new Office of Short Term Rental Administration and Enforcement, we have a capable, seasoned leader that will continue to find ways to incentivize hosts to be good actors under the law and crack-down on the egregious violators that no one supports,” said Supervisor Mark Farrell. “Homesharing has a place in San Francisco because of the numerous benefits it brings to residents looking to make ends meet and to small businesses who continue to see patronage rise. I am confident that under Kevin’s leadership the new office will exceed expectations.” 

“We have made an excellent choice in Kevin Guy as Director,” said City Administrator Naomi Kelly. “He is well known as a no-nonsense problem solver, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to increase efforts to register law-abiding residents who want to rent out their primary residence and aggressively pursue law-breakers who abuse the system or flout our short-term rental laws.” 

The Director of the Office of Short-Term Rental Administration and Enforcement serves under the City Administrator’s Office. Kevin Guy will lead registration and enforcement efforts by investigating alleged violations and possibly impose fines as allowed under the City’s current short-term rental regulations. As of February 1, 2015, San Franciscans may legally rent their primary residential unit for periods of less than 30 nights with a valid Short-Term Residential Rental Registration. The Office of Short Term Rental Administration and Enforcement is located at 1650 Mission Street. 

Kevin Guy stepped down from his position in the San Francisco Planning Department’s Planning Division to lead the Office of Short-Term Rental Administration and Enforcement. Since 2007 in the Planning Department, he has overseen several large projects throughout the City, including the Transbay Tower, Parcel P of the Market-Octavia Neighborhood Plan, and the Nob Hill Masonic Center renovation. 

“Kevin has been one of the most well-respected and effective planners on staff,” said San Francisco Planning Director John Rahaim. “He has managed review for some of our most challenging projects and is considered the resident specialist for the more complicated mechanisms of the planning code. I value the significant contributions he’s made here at Planning, and while he will be sorely missed I congratulate him on his new position and look forward to working with him in his new leadership role.”

For more information on the Office of Short Term Rental Administration and Enforcement, go to: sfgov.org/OSTR