Marin planning commissioners took their first stab at reviewing county staff’s proposed short-term rental regulations on Monday and decided to save the hard part until later.

They voted to exempt farmstays from the regulations and seemed to agree that Dillon Beach should be exempted from any limits on S.T.R.s because it is strictly a vacation community.

But they postponed decisions on whether to cap hosted rentals and exempt unhosted ones—and at what levels to set any caps.

In the draft regulations released two weeks ago, county staff recommended capping only unhosted S.T.R.s, or those that are not the primary residence of the owner or a long-term tenant. But after reviewing public comments on their draft, many of which advocated for caps on both, staff asked commissioners whether they wished to limit rentals in both categories.

The commissioners said they needed more time and information before making that decision. 

The county is hoping to approve new rules before its current two-year moratorium on S.T.R.s expires in May. In crafting the regulations, they sought to give homeowners some flexibility to rent to visitors to the coast, without exacerbating the area’s acute shortage of affordable long-term housing. The Board of Supervisors imposed the moratorium because it feared the rapid growth of online sites such as Airbnb was eroding housing opportunities for longtime residents and West Marin’s workforce.

During Monday’s session, commissioners raised a variety of concerns in addition to the caps, including whether the proposed rules were unduly burdensome and duplicative of existing county codes. Some said that the proposed safety, septic and parking standards might force some property owners to give up their rentals—and even their properties as a result.

The draft rules would require people to renew their license every two years and provide a certified inspection showing their septic system was up to date. It would also require two onsite parking spots.

Chris Desser, the commissioner representing West Marin, said that S.T.R.s are an important source of income for many homeowners, many of whom depend on them to pay their mortgage, finance their retirement and cover other expenses. 

“These are not necessarily really rich people by any means,” she said. “We need to be as fair as possible and not impose unnecessary fees on people.”

Commissioners expressed confusion about the caps recommended by the planning staff and said they would need more time before deciding how to approach the issue.

Before the two-year moratorium, there were 551 S.T.R.s in West Marin. When the pause was implemented weeks later, 70 more people had registered, bringing the total to 621. Under the draft rules, the number of unhosted rentals would be capped where the total number of S.T.R.s stood before the moratorium. The caps would vary by town and be implemented gradually through attrition, as current operators decided to stop renting their homes, died or moved away.

But in setting the cap for unhosted rentals, county staff used the total number of S.T.R.s—both hosted and unhosted—as a baseline for its calculations. Housing advocates argued that this approach would result in an increase of unhosted S.T.R.s, not a decrease.

Jeremy Tejirian, the county planning manager, said the county didn’t have reliable data to disaggregate hosted and unhosted rentals. But commissioner Rebecca Lind asked the staff to come back with a breakdown before the Planning Commission holds another workshop on Nov. 13, when it hopes to approve regulations and send them to the Board of Supervisors. 

“We need accurate numbers for the hosted and unhosted to the extent that you can possibly give that,” Ms. Lind said. “A guestimate, or something.”

Mr. Tejirian said it would be challenging and expensive to enforce separate caps, which would require additional staff to ensure compliance.

Ms. Desser opposed caps on hosted rentals and suggested capping unhosted rentals at 460, a number the staff provided in a report last June but has since said was unreliable due to limitations in the way the information was collected.

Hosted rentals are likely to be smaller than unhosted rentals, perhaps just one or two rooms in someone’s home, with an owner onsite to address concerns about noise or other issues, said Ms. Desser, who owns an S.T.R. in Marshall and proposed detailed modifications to the draft.

Before sharing their responses, the commissioners listened to comments from residents, who have expressed sharply contrasting opinions in a series of public meetings. Supporters of S.T.R.s said they provide essential income to homeowners, customers for local businesses and jobs for the local workforce. They also provide opportunities for people to visit the region and enjoy its natural splendors. Most owners of second homes, they maintain, would not rent them at all if they couldn’t do so on a short-term basis.

Sean Callagy, an attorney and Inverness homeowner, spoke on behalf of a group called the West Marin Access Coalition. He called the proposed regulations “unworkable and burdensome” and said the county had offered no data to show that they are needed. “All we’re asking is for the county to present reliable information,” Mr. Callagy said. “They haven’t shown that these regulations will do anything to move the needle and create an affordable, reliable long-term housing portfolio.”

Other speakers said they had watched as their communities were hollowed out by the exodus of long-term residents unable to find housing. They argued for a 50 percent reduction in S.T.R.s.

“Short-term rentals are driving up housing prices and closing out locals who want to have a stake in the community from buying,” said Don Smith, a Bolinas resident and member of West Marin Residents for Housing. “Locals I know have been trying to find houses for years, and they always get outbid. It’s ruining the housing market and really needs to be rolled back.”

Lisa Poncia, who operates farmstays in Tomales, said renting was an essential part of her business, Stemple Creek Ranch.

“To be an agriculturalist in this county is extremely challenging,” she said. “If we did not have agritourism in our business operation, I truly do not think we would be here.”

Mr. Tejirian, the planning manager, pointed out that farmstays are not close to neighboring properties, and they typically have long-term tenants onsite to respond to any complaints that might arise.

The commissioners took a straw poll and unanimously agreed that farmstays should be exempted from the regulations.