By Jackie Devereaux 

(Palm Springs, CA) - Short-term rentals have been a contentious issue in the Coachella Valley for years, and nowhere is the issue more problematic then in Palm Springs, where one resident says, “Enough is enough.”  

Mike Duff moved to Palm Springs with his pregnant wife a year ago. The Duffs rented a house on Whitewater Club with an option to buy. However, after a year of being bombarded by constant partying, loud music and threats, the Duffs moved out. 

“When my neighbors were threatened by a woman who said she had a gun, I said, ‘That’s it, enough is enough.'” The Duffs declined the option to buy the home and instead purchased a new home in Desert Hot Springs.  “At least over there, I know what I’m getting into. Here, I was sold a bill of goods and the Palm Springs celebrity-name, while paying premium rents for a nightmare year,” Duff said while packing the last load onto a rental truck. 

The final straw broke on Saturday, February 27th when another weekend party erupted across the street at one of the short-term rental houses on the block. They heard loud music, loud voices, and saw people spilling out into the front yard, and a woman yelling at one of his neighbors.  “Shut the f...k up! Take our country back. I’m a Trump supporter. I’m going to kill you. I have a gun in my car.”  

Duff, who became alarmed for his neighbor (because he is handicapped with multiple sclerosis), called the police.   Duff waited 45-minutes to an hour for the police to arrive, and when they did, they informed him that Code Enforcement had been out earlier and issued a citation for excessive noise.  “The police told me there was nothing more they could do, even though things had escalated to threats with a gun!”  

Duff was so disturbed by the incident that he wrote a letter to the Patrick Clifford in the city Code Compliance division complaining about the threat, but it fell on deaf ears, he said.  “He emailed me back saying I could inquire about the citation issued, but they blocked out the person’s name.” 

Duff contacted KMIR - NBC Palm Springs television and they sent Anchor/Reporter Olivia Sandusky to investigate the story.  Sandusky interviewed the Duff’s on Friday, March 12th while they were packing their last boxes to move. 

“I’m leaving this problem but feel bad for my neighbors who have lived here for more than 20 years,” he said.  “Maybe this story will help them get some relief from the short-term rental nightmares.” 

Duff also said that another reason he’s leaving is because the short-term rentals have driven up prices for homes in Palm Springs.  “These short-term rentals have jacked the prices for homes up so high that middle class people cannot afford to buy here.  They can get a month’s mortgage payment on one weekend rental, so out of town buyers are grabbing these homes and turning what once was a residential district into a commercial one.” 

“If they're going to allow Palm Springs to be a short-term rental mecca, then don’t bill it as family-friendly.  Politicians here should not go around saying this is a family-friendly city when it obviously is not.” 

Rev. Jackie Devereaux

www.jackiedevereaux.com