Big Bear Vacation Rental

[Amanda Webb]

I’ve noticed a lot of threads in the past discussing short term rentals in Big Bear, but many of them are from a few years ago and there have been updated city ordinances since then, so thought it best to start a new thread.

My husband and I have been looking for a rental in Big Bear for a couple of years now and are finally ready to buy. We live in Burbank so would be managing it ourselves from afar via Airbnb. That said, I know new ordinances have been put into place that there must now be a designated in person check-in person to meet your renters as well as a designated 24/7 complaint response person who resides within 15 miles of Big Bear. This seems as though it would make short term rentals more difficult for people managing them.

My question is, are there people who offer the service of being an in-person check in person as well as a 24/7 complaint response person that you can pay? Do some husband/wife cleaning and maintenance services offer this now? Is it expensive, and would a vacation rental in Big Bear still be a good ROI?

In addition, could you technically designate a 24/7 response person who lives 15 miles away but you still be the person they call for things that don’t require someone to show up in person?

I was just looking on Airbnb the other day and noticed several Big Bear listings still have self check in keypads advertised. Are these people just outwardly breaking the law and advertising it? How do they get away with it? 

Is it still worth it to invest in a VR? Any advice would be much appreciated!

[Jared Cobb]

@Amanda Webb 

To answer your question about “services”: There are definitely cleaning crews you can hire, and you may be able to find that one couple that can do the in person check in, but all the ones I’m aware of want to manage the whole thing. And expect 25-30% commission on it.

As a resident and local realtor I can tell you there is a draw for renters all over the mountain for different reasons. Crestline is an up and coming area that the county is doing a lot to update and upgrade. It’s a small public lake that has a swimming area and you can rent small boats and water bikes, lake trail to walk around, skate park, and dog park. The lower elevation means less snow accumulation (less snow removal cost) and it’s a bit closer to the LA area than Big Bear.

Buying in the Lake Arrowhead Woods will gain you access to the lake via your own boat or designated swimming beaches. But your guests will not be able to bring their boat up with them. The boat being launched has to be registered in the home owners name and tied to the home in the woods. If you definitely want lake rights, be careful when you are looking here as there is a boundary that decides which houses are within lake rights and which ones are not. When looking on a map you won’t know unless you know, or have a realtor show you on one of our maps that has the boundary marked on it.

Running Springs area is pretty centrally located between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear and is a cute little town, but doesn’t have much to offer in the town itself. There are some hiking trails, a swimming hole, and some shops. Snow Valley ski resort is about a 10 minute drive from RS as well.

Big Bear is a much bigger city and has a lot more amenities. But it is a decent amount further than the other three mentioned. The traffic getting up there can be bogged down in the winter due to high volume and slow driving conditions in the snow. The lake is public compared to Lake Arrowhead so your guests could bring their own boat up. So that’s a plus.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the area and I’d be happy to answer them.