Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | CalOHA.org

Advocacy Update

In a record-breaking California Legislative Session, 2,066 bills were introduced at the beginning of the year. Those bills made their way through two houses, untold committees and were whittled down to a mere 1,046 bills. Governor Newsome had until Saturday, October 14^th to ensure the decisions were finalized. With the due date looming, he ended up with 890 bills signed and 156 vetoed.



CalOHA, through our work with Cal Travel, has filtered through the bills left standing and we wanted to update you on the top four bills of note. Please read on for a breakdown on signed bills that will take effect in 2024.

SB 644 (Glazer) Hotel and private residence rental reservations: cancellation: refunds.  

This bill would require a hotel, third-party booking service, hosting platform, or short-term rental, as defined, to allow a reservation for a hotel accommodation or a short-term rental located in California to be canceled without penalty for at least 24 hours after the reservation is confirmed if the reservation is made 72 hours or more before the time of check-in. This bill was signed, it does not affect Campgrounds and RV Parks at this time.

SB 478 (Dodd): Consumers Legal Remedies Act: advertisements.

This bill would, beginning on July 1, 2024, with specified exceptions, additionally make unlawful advertising, displaying, or offering a price for a good or service that does not include all mandatory fees or charges other than taxes or fees imposed by a government on the transaction, as specified. The bill is non-specific with regard to the industry it affects and could impact all industries, including RV Parks & Campgrounds.

AB 537 (Berman) Short-term lodging: advertising: rates.

This bill would prohibit a place of short-term lodging, as defined, from advertising or offering a room rate that does not include all fees or charges required to stay at the short-term lodging except taxes and fees imposed by a government on the stay, as specified. In this bill, “short-term lodging” means any hotel, motel, bed and breakfast inn, or other transient lodging. “Short-term lodging” also includes a short-term rental, or a residential property that is rented to a visitor for 30 consecutive days or less through a centralized platform whereby the rental is advertised, displayed, or offered and payments for the rental are processed. Meaning that it could technically apply to RV Parks and Campgrounds that provide lodging accommodations.

SB 616 (Gonzalez) Sick days: paid sick days accrual and use.

SB 616 is a notable bill as it would increase paid sick days from three to five days for your employees that qualify. This bill would modify the employer’s alternate sick leave accrual method to additionally require that an employee have no less than 40 hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off by the 200th calendar day of employment or each calendar year, or in each 12-month period.

For insights into other noteworthy legislation, check out the informative CalMatters article linked below.

As always CalOHA is here to keep you up to date and help you navigate what these changes can mean for your parks. Give us a call in the office at (530) 885-1624 or shoot us an email to info@caloha.org if you have any questions.  

Is the RV Boom Over?

Winnebago Industries lays out their revenue for the fiscal year and divulges that their numbers didn’t quite meet expectations.

Winnebago revenues for the fourth quarter of the 2023 fiscal year showed a decrease of nearly 35% compared to the 2022 fiscal year, citing “lower unit sales relating to current market conditions and dealer efforts to reduce inventory.” Towables were down 30.9% and Motohomes down 42.8%. 

Is this an indication of what is to come regarding outdoor hospitality and our campgrounds?

“While the consumer market continues to be challenged and our fourth quarter results reflect a stubborn retail environment, we continued to see the benefits of our diversified portfolio on our results for the fiscal year,” stated President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Happe.

While these numbers are disheartening, 2023 also offered the opportunity to jump into the electrification game with the acquisition of Lithionics Battery stating that this has bolstered their onboard battery solutions and energized the electrical supply. 

Happe continued to express that they are excited about new product releases in the Towable segment and reinforcing the RV and Marine market share. 

Winnebago Industries, Inc. will discuss fourth quarter and full year Fiscal 2023 earnings results during a conference call scheduled for 9 a.m. Central Time today. Members of the news media, investors and the general public are invited to access a live broadcast of the conference call via the Investor Relations page of the company’s website. The event will be archived and available for replay for the next 90 days.

For the full article please click the button below.

Should I Run a Background Check on a Camper?

Have you ever asked yourself this question? If so, it was probably followed by a whole bunch of other questions and we know it can be a tricky topic. Luckily, we have the answer.

Our CalOHA Supplier Partner, Tenant Alert, has put together a list of common questions and answers to help you navigate the best solution for your park. Below are the the ins and outs of background checking and how Tenant Alert can make it an easy option for you.

Why should I run a background check on a camper?

When a landlord interviews a potential tenant, they ask for a lot of information. Some questions are simple like name and phone number, while others are more personal like date of birth and Social Security Number. But before accepting them, the landlord needs to be comfortable with their tenant. That’s where background checks come in.

Why should a campground owner be any different? After all, you want trustworthy and reliable guests. So you need to do your due diligence. A substantial examination of their past with a background check looks for any red flags or anything you need to worry about. But what are you looking for exactly?

What shows up on a background check?

In a nutshell, a background check shows some or all of the details of an applicant’s personal and financial background. Taken all together, they help paint a more detailed, complete picture of them. You may feel that looking into a guest’s personal history is invasive. But it helps ease worries.

A background check through our supplier, Tenant Alert provides:

·       Confirming personal information and identity

o  You need to know that they are who they say they are, The SSN Fraud report validates name, address, age and other identifying facts.

·       Confirming past and present addresses

o  With the Past Address History Numerous databases are searched to create a report that lists previous addresses and first and last name variations. The dates are reflective of when that database was updated and the data comes from several hundred databases such as USPS, NCOA, and credit bureaus.

·       Renter history

o  The Nationwide Eviction Search includes data collected from county level courts when a judgement for possession of property is filed. Due to some local laws campers are treated like other tenants. If a person defaults on rent payment you may have to go to court to get them evicted. Knowing their history helps to avoid this.

·       Criminal history and criminal record

o  No one wants someone who is potentially dangerous or involved in illegal activity living on their property. It is crucial to run a criminal background check to ensure the safety of your property, other campers, and your employees. If your prospective camper has a history of run-ins with the law, you may want to investigate the nature and severity of the crimes committed. The Nationwide Criminal Background Check, and OFAC/Terrorist report (An arm of the Treasury Department) search these databases.

·       Sex offender registry

o  Megan’s Law established in 1996 requires states to maintain a public website that lists sex offenders in their state. The Sex Offender report searches these nationwide databases to identify registered sex offenders.

·       Renter history

o  The Nationwide Eviction Search includes data collected from county level courts when a judgement for possession of property has been filed over the past seven years.

·       Credit report

o  A full Credit Report with Score from one of the three major credit bureaus.

·       Check Writing History

o  Telecheck® Check Verification tells whether the applicant has a history of writing NSF checks.

Tenant Alert is offering special pricing to all members of the California Outdoor Hospitality Association. The campground owner has the option of paying for the background search themselves or billing the applicant. Click the discount link for details.

Thank You for Your Loyal Membership

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