Mandate City of Long Beach to Enforce Code Violations Against Short-Term Rentals Now

HOMES NOT HOTELS.

This is an open letter to the Mayor and City Council of Long Beach as it awaits a response from City Management which is preparing a report responding to what can be done to prevent Short-Term Vacation Rentals in R-1 Residential neighborhoods.  

Just after New Years, the residents of Kallin Avenue in College Estates were witnesses to a shooting outside a home rented out as a short-term rental. Several of the residents adjacent to the rental had made complaints to the City concerning noise, parties and unruly guests for over a year. Nothing was done.

The residents of this neighborhood believe residential housing units should be reserved for residents and our workforce and not permitted for use as hotels for tourists.

After the shooting occurred, several residents requested to file a Petition to Restrict Un-Hosted Short-Term Rentals.They had not previously been informed of this process nor were they told until after the shooting that only one person could apply and that person would be assessed $1500 up front to start the process.

This letter outlines what residents believe is needed to protect their neighborhood.

Please sign this petition if you believe in preserving the peace and security within College Estates, Long Beach, CA. Your signature can make a difference!

Please sign this petition and/or send an email to the Mayor and City Council: mayor@longbeach.gov, district1@longbeach.gov, district2@longbeach.gov, district3@longbeach.gov, district4@longbeach.gov, district5@longbeach.gov, district6@longbeach.gov, district7@longbeach.gov, disttict8@longbeach.gov, district9@longbeach.gov. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mayor and Councilmembers,

I was contacted by a resident of College Estates, Long Beach, CA, who personally witnessed the negative impact of short-term rentals in our community. A shooting incident recently occurred in their peaceful neighborhood connected to a short-term rental property. This is not just an isolated case; it's a glaring example of the potential dangers these unregulated properties can bring.

Short-term rentals are becoming increasingly popular due to their profitability for property owners. However, they often violate city codes and disrupt local communities' peace and safety. In Long Beach alone, there has been an increase in noise complaints and public disturbances linked to these properties.

The City of Long Beach has regulations in place meant to control such situations but enforcement is lax. Specifically, the City has failed to “ Ensure that such short-term rental activities do not become a nuisance, or threaten the public health, safety or welfare of neighboring properties” and “Safeguard the residents of Long Beach by ensuring that short-term rental activities do not threaten the character of residential neighborhoods.”

We need stricter enforcement of existing codes on short-term rentals for the safety and tranquility of our neighborhoods.

We call upon the City Council and Mayor Richardson’s office to take immediate action on this matter by enforcing code violations against short-term rentals rigorously. Our community's safety should never be compromised for profit.

We are also writing to voice opposition to any report that continues the status quo concerning Short Term Vacation Rentals. As evidenced by the shooting in College Estates in early January, residents who own homes are being subjected to neighbors who have converted their houses into hotels that are unattended and are the sources of noise, unruly parties and even criminal behavior.

Before the shooting, several residents had contacted the City with complaints. Nothing was done. After the shooting of a short-term renter, residents contacted the police and their current councilmember and requested that immediate action be taken to stop short-term rentals in R-1 neighborhoods. 

Instead of the City Council directing immediate action, the issue was sent to the City Manager for a report.

During this time, residents found that they could file a petition with the City to restrict short-term rentals from their neighborhood.  At no time, when they filed complaints were they informed of this process. Unfortunately, only one resident can file a request for a petition and that resident must pay $1500 up front.

Residents who filed complaints on that specific property were told by City Staff that the department responsible for enforcement was “short-staffed.”

Why does Long Beach have a STR Permitting Program? – It is NOT because we have an abundance of residential housing units. The City needs housing. Period. The City does not need residential homes removed from the housing market and turned into hotel rooms.

City Management may be reluctant to recommend measures to protect residential housing because the City receives 14% tax on these rentals, as they do for real hotel rooms. May we remind you that the City receives property taxes from the residents being impacted that are far in excess of the tax on Short-Term Rentals?

Residents attempting to sell their home because they cannot tolerate the impact of Short-Term Rentals in their neighborhood must disclose this problem. A disclosure which can result in a lower selling price.

In lieu of creating keeping the current STR Permitting Program we urge the City Council to take the following actions as it relates to STRs:

• Prohibit the conversion of residential housing to commercial use as a hotel (STR) in all zones except the coastal zone,  or alternatively
• Prohibit STR permits for any residence that is not the primary residence of the owner and that the owner is not physically present during the STR,
• Revoke any STR permit for a residence where a crime has been committed,
• Create new enforcement teams that include dedicated Code Enforcement and LBPD officers,
• Fund the enforcement team from the 14% TOT received by the City and fines from permit holder violators,
• Complaint calls shall be received 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and the caller provided with response as to what action is taken,
• Remove the $1500 fee for a neighborhood to request a petition to restrict STRs in their neighborhood and replace it with a requirement that twenty (20) signatures be obtained in the neighborhood to initiate the City doing a complete petition in the Census Tract,
• Develop better enforcement tools, like those found in other jurisdictions (Lake Tahoe and San Francisco), in order to eliminate illegal STRs that returns residential housing to residential,
• Require that City Staff bill all property owners for the full costs associated with bringing illegal STRs into compliance.

TO BE CLEAR:

• We are not fighting against a homeowner who wants to rent out a room in their home that they reside in.
• We are not fighting against a homeowner who wants to rent/lease a home for a minimum of 30 days or more.
• We ARE fighting against companies/individuals turning homes into hotels and letting tourists stay for 2-3 nights with no homeowner present. Tourists are not residents, therefore the home becomes a business.
• We ARE fighting for the City to do its job and protect our neighborhood.

Thank you,

Prepared by Gerrie Schipske