Fullerton : Bed & Breakfast Inns Win Council Approval

Fullerton residents with too many rooms in their homes and not enough company will be able to establish bed and breakfast inns under a measure approved by the City Council on Tuesday.

The allows homeowners in residential neighborhoods to offer up to five rooms for short-term paying guests. Guests would not be allowed to stay longer than two weeks and meals would be limited to breakfast.

After debate of the measure the council decided that homeowners will not be required to live on the premises, as originally specified. Homeowners would have to obtain a conditional use permit and a business license.

City officials said bed and breakfast inns, long popular in Europe and becoming more popular in the United States, are an alternative for travelers who want a more homelike atmosphere than hotels or motels can offer. The inns are also usually cheaper than large hotels.

While bed and breakfast inns are usually associated with resort towns, several Orange County cities, including Anaheim and Placentia, have adopted measures to allow them.