California city councils tighten rules on RV parking and vanlording

Palo Alto has approved urgency ordinances to ban unattached trailers and prohibit renting out RVs parked on public streets, a practice termed 'vanlording'. The City Council voted 6-1 following complaints about traffic and sanitation issues in areas with high RV concentration. Enforcement for oversized vehicles begins after signage is installed, while the vanlord ban is effective immediately with fines of $500 per violation. The action coincides with a reported increase in the city's unsheltered population, 76% of whom live in vehicles.

Palo Alto has banned public parking of detached trailers and prohibited renting out RVs for long-term housing on city streets. The policy targets landlords, not residents, and is paired with plans for interim housing by early 2026. With a median home price of $3.5 million, vehicle living has become a last resort for some, though it lacks basic amenities.

Palo Alto's phased policy to address increased RV parking on city streets carries an estimated $6.5 million price tag for signage and implementation over two years. The first phase would ban renting RVs on streets and parking inoperable trailers starting in January, while exploring parking restrictions and designated streets comes later. City staff noted ongoing enforcement and maintenance costs could exceed $800,000 annually.