The Laguna Beach City Council voted on Tuesday to extend an existing moratorium on new short term rental permits until Oct. 1 2016 to give city staff time to craft an amended ordinance.
City to prepare new ordinance banning short term rentals
City staff is to prepare an ordinance banning the practice in residential areas. The council will look at allowing short-term rentals in commercial zones, but if these are allowed, the permits will come with requirements including: on-site parking, insurance, fire inspections and a limit on guests. Currently, 51 property owners have permits to rent short term in Laguna Beach. It’s unclear whether they will be allowed to continue to rent their homes.
Vacation sites such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway might soon have a gap in vacation rental offerings. City officials said they will develop a plan to aggressively pursue illegally run homes.
Also approved is a $90,000 code enforcement position by enforcing strict, daily fines of up to $500. “There is an explosion of illegal units, and we need to do something to get control of our neighborhoods,” said Councilman Robert Zur Schmiede. In just a month, city officials have identified between 175 and 200 homes in town that are offered as vacation rentals without permits.
Concerns included security issues, noise, parking problems and a general disruption of tranquil neighborhood lifestyles. As part of the City’s research into neighbor complaints, city officials reviewed patrol checks made by the Laguna Beach Police Department from 2007 until 2015. In that time, there were 95 calls for disturbances at the permitted properties and 217 disturbance calls at short stays at illegally run properties.
Laguna Beach is still divided
The town is still divided on the matter. Some said the desire to make money from short-term rentals in Laguna Beach is making affordable rental units obsolete and driving year-round renters out. Some pushed for outright bans. Councilman Kelly Boyd also spoke up against the matter: “I’m seeing a change I don’t like seeing here. If they bought their homes with the intent to rent, that bothers me. People can make more money in two weeks, than in year-round rentals. We can’t afford to lose those. I’m concerned about the long-term effect.”
Other residents feel that short term rentals are a way to welcome people to our beautiful town and encourage them to shop and dine in our restaurants. Many of tho owners and advocates, feel that that tenant selection is a major part of the solution and their own responsibility.
Navid Filsoof and his wife, Tina, spoke about two homes near the beach they purchased with an eye on short-term rentals. “I don’t see it as a business,” said Filsoof. “I treat it as a way to welcome people to this beautiful area. People have to buy insurance, and we’re in touch with our neighbors to keep track of things. We feel hotels are great, but we provide a complete service. We have nice homes and high-end guests. If it’s done responsibly, there can be a net benefit.”
Looking ahead
As it happens, a home is rented on short term down the street from where I live. Never have I had any issues with the visitors staying at the house. The owner has been extremely diligent in choosing people who will respect the neighborhood and its residents. I believe that this is a major component in combating issues such as noise disturbances by guests. I also know that not every owner does their due diligence, and in turn visitors don’t always respect the peace and quiet of a neighborhood.
Of course we must work to protect Laguna Beach Real Estate values, the availability of long term rentals and neighborhood peace and quiet, but I am a bit sad to see all the short term rentals go. I love renting a home on vacation with my family and truly experiencing the local lifestyle, whether we’re in Big Bear, Santa Barbara or for example Big Sur. For a lot of people Laguna Beach is the town where they want to enjoy living for a week, and we are going to make this a lot harder for them.
Is there not a way for us to enforce stricter tenant selection? What about looking into a two week minimum along with requirements such as sufficient parking? Finally, what about simply enforcing the regulations that we already have in place? Owners must apply for a permit and allow the neighborhood to express any potential concerns before they are provided with a permit, and illegally ran operations can be fined according to the law.
I would love to hear what your thoughts and suggestions are!
Jaleesa
About Jaleesa Peluso Laguna Beach Real Estate
Jaleesa Peluso is a Laguna Beach Real Estate Agent with Berkshire Hathaway California Properties.
For more information about Orange County Estate visit: www.jaleesapeluso.com or give us a call at (949) 395-060.
This information is provided solely as a courtesy by Jaleesa Peluso, Laguna Beach Realtor®. Information may change without notice. Information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.